Timeless Awakening
by Xera Stark
Summary: Everybody always said aura came naturally. That it always developed on its own over time. It was supposed to be easy, to make life simpler and make the body stronger. So why? Why was it so hard to be like everyone else? Why couldn't it be easy? Why couldn't she control her aura the way everyone else could? Why couldn't she stop herself...from destroying what she cared about? (Yuri)
1. Time

Timeless Awakening

Time

«»

Ira hated Signal Academy.

The fifteen-year-old's legs carried her mindlessly down the damp, winding path she always took. It led to the school's back entrance, away from the crowds.

She wanted to get in early today, so she set out an hour before other students tended to arrive. Another assignment was due today that she _needed_ to get in on time.

Lime green eyes stared down at the filled sheet of paper clutched lightly between her fingers, sneakers padding through a few puddles on autopilot as she read over her answers. Rain from yesterday dripped down from the leaves above her, a few droplets falling onto her school uniform, but she paid them no mind.

Her gaze scanned over the array of text she wrote out last night. They were weapon styles, the theme focused on their strengths and weaknesses.

But Ira didn't have a style. She was exempt from building a weapon her first year here at Signal because of that. So, the assignment was a bit of a slap in the face. It just reminded her of her "outcast" status here.

That, and… one other thing.

By the time she rounded the corner grove of trees to fall in sight of the school, a soft murmur of voices started filtering into her hearing as she scanned the last few lines of her page.

Her autopilot came to a crawl as her bright eyes glanced up to a small group of girls sitting around and chatting at a picnic table out back, her luminescent gaze somehow dulling at the sight.

It was just three of them. But just one was all the school needed to make Ira's life miserable since day one.

 _Maybe the front entrance would be better for today…_

Ira's slim fingers clutched a little tighter at her assignment as she turned around, black hair fluttering for a moment before cascading against her mid-back. Her hand rose to clutch the strap of her bag as she dipped her head down, quietly backtracking where she came.

All she needed to do was get beyond the tree grove, and she'd be unseen. She didn't want to deal with her today.

Not with a high-point assignment due.

But it didn't take a sensory type to know a pair of crystal blue eyes just fell on her back.

"Oh! Ira!"

Ira's steps quickened as she made her way around a pool of shallow rainwater, fingers starting to crinkle the edge of her paper. Her shoulders were tense, held tighter together now than they were just a few moments ago.

She _hated_ that voice. That sickeningly light, condescending voice.

A small flicker of wind in the trees forced the retreating girl to stop, coming to a sudden standstill as her hair kicked up and Sapphia stepped in front of her.

Sapphia Amatista. The platinum blonde from a humbly prestigious family. Signal was local enough to be open for people of all backgrounds, so Ira always wondered what a girl like her was doing at a school like this.

"Come on, Ira~ We've been waiting around all morning for you," Sapphia's voice cut into the air again, Ira's bag strap starting to feel rough as the cornered girl tightly squeezed it.

"Not now, Sapphia," Ira muttered quietly, letting her eyes glimpse the girl's face in front of her before casting them aside. She was wearing that sickening smile like she always did.

It pushed a toxic, fake politeness forward that didn't seem to exist inside the taller girl standing expectantly in Ira's way.

 _Any more late assignments, and…_

"You know the deal, Ira. We figured you'd come this way this morning, so why don't we get it over with, okay?"

Ira could feel those crystal eyes turning down to the assignment clutched in her grasp, that tension in her hand starting to tighten.

 _Why did it have to be today?_

"Sapphia, I don't-"

"I'll only be a moment."

Ira's words fell as another small burst of air fluttered her bangs, the paper in her hand already gone.

Sapphia was a speed type. Apparently, that made her the hotshot of the academy. The only one faster than her was a red-tipped brunette in another class. but Sapphia was the only one between the two of them actually interested in claiming a title.

Green eyes closed away as Ira took a small breath, trying to hold it in for as long as possible before letting it out in a small shudder.

Maybe Sapphia would actually let her turn it in today. She was using her for her own academic points, wasn't she?

She wouldn't let that lynchpin fail out of the class, would she…?

Ira took another breath as she started making her way to the picnic table the other girls lounged at. The three were studiously but quickly copying from the crumpled paper sitting between them.

 _Her_ crumpled paper.

 _Did she really have to scrunch it up so much?_

Ira's second hand made its way to her shoulder strap now, clutching the padded material just beneath her other slender hand in hopes that it'd make this pass by a little quicker.

This was always the worst part.

The bustle of chatter and gossip fell away to the quiet ambiance of rustling trees and a coastal wind, the scribbling of pens and pencils hardly filtering into the air as Ira's heart pounded in her chest.

" _Please_ , I need that paper back when you're done," Ira's voice came out in a quiet plea, but the girls ignored her.

After another minute crawled by, Ira stopped quietly scuffing her shoe against the ground as Sapphia stood up. Green eyes watched the girl's hand pluck up her paper from the center of the table and make her way over to her.

"You should check over some of the weaknesses you have listed under estocs. Some of them aren't very accurate," Sapphia said, holding out the paper for Ira.

The raven-haired girl stared blankly down at the offered page for a moment as her heart lurched. Of course Sapphia would complain about that. She used an estoc.

What was worse was she was actually proficient with it.

Only _more_ reason to see herself as queen of the second-years here.

Ira held her breath as she reached out for the paper, but her fingers grew still as the edge of it pulled away.

"But, _really_ , what would a girl like you know about weapon styles and how to use them?"

And there was that voice again. That haughty tone and inflection she seemed to only reserve for Ira in moments like these.

"I mean, you don't even use a weapon. How would you know _anything_ about other people's styles if you don't have one yourself?" Sapphia pulled Ira's paper further out of reach before forming that sickening smile again.

Ira's chest started to seize as she dragged her desperate gaze up to meet Sapphia's own, but it looked like that was what the girl was waiting for.

That broken moment of satisfaction.

"No Aura, no Semblance, no weapon," Sapphia listed off, Ira's eyes starting to drop again as she watched her paper slowly get torn in half.

That sound. The tearing rip of parchment. It was always so awful to hear…

"Come on, nobody would expect you to know _anything_ about being a huntress. You don't have any aura. You can't even fight!" Ira's hair fluttered again as Sapphia stepped up to her side, flipping the clasped fold of her bag up to peer into it.

Green eyes squeezed closed again as the blonde rummaged through her folders for a few seconds before ripping something else out of its sleeve.

"And look at that, you even had a backup copy," Sapphia said, tearing the second paper in half just like the first one before balling them both up into her hands.

Ira just stayed quiet as she turned away, hearing the soft splatter of mud and water as her crushed assignments were dropped onto the ground.

She only had time to make the two copies. And there wasn't enough time before their first class started for her to make another from memory.

Sapphia burned up all the time Ira was counting on by showing up early to school.

"Seriously, _go home_ , Ira."

That satisfied, high voice filled the stale air again as Ira took a small breath, not wanting to meet it.

"Nobody wants an auraless runt like you at an academy training us to fight the Grimm." Those footsteps started to fade away as the small group of girls walked off, heading for one of the side paths.

That was good. Ira was looking to use the back entrance to the school anyway, so it avoided them.

"You don't belong here. So stop bothering to show up."

 _Was this… always what happens at schools like Signal…?_

Ira's green eyes finally tracked down to her feet, her grip on the strap over her shoulder finally loosening as she let out a held breath. It shook her, shoulders trembling softly as her loosened fingers quivered.

The white, crumpled paper with the penmanship she recognized as hers was already soaked through from the murky water of the puddle in the dirt.

There wasn't anything she could do about that.

She just needed to make it to class… and try to ignore the student hierarchy of who's the strongest.

Power wasn't always about raw strength. Ira knew that better than anyone.

When Ira made it to her seat and the teacher walked in, she kept her head down through the announcements and through the collection of their assignments.

This was the other part she hated most about this place.

"Ira?" A young, but aged voice of a man asked, her teacher standing by her desk. "Where's your assignment?"

Lime green eyes looked up for a moment before they glanced to the side, catching a pointed glare from Sapphia across the way. "I…"

The teacher didn't seem to notice, or care. Sapphia was his favorite anyway.

"I didn't do it." Ira's answer was quiet, her eyes looking back down as the man frowned.

"Ira, any more late assignments and you'll fail the course. You're already at the border of barely passing," he reminded her, eyes bearing a lack of concern she was used to. "Test grades alone won't get you anywhere in my class."

The girl's hands dipped further between her knees as she squeezed her legs tightly together, dipping her head in a tiny nod.

"I know…"

* * *

"I'm home." Ira closed the door behind her as she took off her shoes by the coat rack, a comforting warmth seeping into her skin from the inside air.

She took in a deep breath as she clutched her bag, letting the aroma of her mother's cooking and the warm cabin atmosphere replace the stale air of the school and the glistening forest during her walk home.

Coming home to this almost made it worth it.

"Welcome home! I'm just working on dinner while I can."

Anoel's voice came from the kitchen, drawing Ira toward it as she dropped her bag for now by the stairs and stepped into the dividing room's doorframe.

Her mother was only in her late thirties, so Ira always figured the woman must've had her at a young age. Somewhere around 20.

Looking at her, it was always assuring seeing someone so young with this kind of heavy responsibility resting on her shoulders.

Anoel wasn't in her casual attire. She wore her pale dark-gray jeans and her white tank-top, her brown half-jacket and black bullhide cowboy hat draped overtop a nearby chair. Her boots rested at the foot of it.

"Heading out?" Ira asked, letting her uniform-clad shoulder lean into the open frame at her right as she watched her mom move about the kitchen island, long black hair tied in a ponytail. She was preparing some sort of pink fish to go into the oven.

"I am. I have a few errands to run with the info network, but I'll be back tonight," Anoel replied, turning her bright gaze to her daughter as she kicked the oven shut with her heel. "How was school?"

"It… went well," Ira replied evenly, knowing if she didn't look Anoel in the eyes as she said that, it wasn't going to be believable.

But it seemed she wasn't flawless at lying yet. Anoel's gaze shifted for a moment before the woman frowned.

"Ira, I didn't send you to Signal to get bullied every day."

The girl broke the lock she had on Anoel's gaze as she turned it to their kitchen window instead, the fading light of the evening sun filtering in through the open curtains. "It's not every day."

"It's close enough." Anoel's voice grew firmer, and Ira flinched a little in the doorframe. "I'm pulling you out of that school. You deserve-"

"N-No!" Ira's sudden voice startled both of them. The girl's breath came out in a heavy huff as she quickly shook her head and pushed away from where she leaned. "I can't leave."

"Ira, there's no point to it if that's all that's happening over there."

The young girl's hands started to ball up as she looked back to her mother's face, a tear-pricked determination taking over in her eyes. "Wasn't it you who said I needed people around me in order to build up my restraint?"

Her mom's lips pressed into a thin line as Anoel placed a hand on her hip, a small sigh leaving her lips as she met her daughter's gaze with a worried one of her own. "Yes. But that's when you use your Semblance. To avoid collateral damage. I'm not going to freely send you to a place that tries to bully you until you give up."

"I'm not giving up." Ira's voice suddenly grew quiet as her fingers fell open, the tension in her body leaving her. "I wanna get better."

"And you _will_. We can always move somewhere else, find you a better place to-"

"It's fine," Ira cut her mother off, dropping her gaze away to let it fall on the oven. "And turn the heat down a little. You'll burn it."

Anoel whirled around and cursed as Ira left the kitchen, grabbing her bag from the floor as she made her way up the stairs to her room.

She didn't come back out until Anoel was already gone.

Ira brought her bag with her as she sat down at the bottom of the stairs, pulling her sneakers on before standing. She'd changed out of her plaid skirt and restricting school jacket, opting for a pair of dark-gray short-shorts and a black t-shirt instead.

Something she partially copied from her mother.

She quietly threw her bag over her shoulder as she stood up, sweeping through the kitchen to grab the plate Anoel left out for her before pushing her way out the back door of the cabin.

Black sneakers padded through the damp grass as she ate a few bites of her dinner, nose scrunching up slightly from the slightly dry taste of the fish.

It was overcooked.

At least the rice was good.

Ira took another bite before making her way into a clearing through the trees, the usual forest surrounding their home opening away to a small grassy area she liked to do her homework in.

She dropped her dark bag once she reached the middle of it, the evening sun had already dried this patch of the ground. Her legs folded beneath herself as she sat down beside her bag, scooping another bite of hot salmon into her mouth before she rested the plate down too.

Her hands rummaged through her bag for a moment before pulling out the textbook she was supposed to read tonight.

The chapter was on Aura Control.

She opened the book and got a few pages in, but the writer kept making it out to be so easy to manipulate and channel your own Aura.

He kept assuring it'd eventually become natural and the body already knew how to do it. You just had to trust it.

Because everybody had it.

Her delicate brow furrowed as she set her empty plate aside, fork resting down with a small tap as she stared at the book open over her lap.

There was a whole segment on meditation. Apparently, taking time to immerse yourself in your body, and ignore all surroundings, made channeling aura become easier. Especially for first-timers.

"Okay…" Ira muttered quietly, placing the book in front of her as she analyzed the picture of the person demonstrating the position to be in.

She took a small breath as she fixed her legs and feet to replicate the way the woman sat, gently resting her hands in a mirrored fashion as well before closing her eyes.

 _Okay… just… clear your head. Block it all out._

Ira's furrowed brow stayed like that for a few minutes, the girl focusing first on trying to level her breathing. Her slim frame rose and fell slightly with every breath, but that eventually started to stabilize as the tension in her body started to loosen.

Her slender shoulders relaxed, face adopting the same release as she took a deep breath and started searching for the energy inside her.

She found it almost immediately. Hiding away in the place it always did, humming in that subtle, crystalline way it never failed to embody.

Ira took another deep breath and held it, the wind brushing softly through her hair dying down for a moment as she started to hear the crystallization of the air around her.

Lime green shimmers of light manifested between the trees and across the grass, glistening in the golden sun as each stray area solidified into physical energy.

A soft, gentle humming rose into the air around her with the more she crystallized, feeling the acute reach of each floating cluster and strand against the forest breeze.

The skin of her legs felt the grass beneath her harden, a solid crystalline glow starting to span out from where she sat as that energy began to spread into the roots of the ground.

She felt it start to climb into the trees, shining through the veins of every branch and leaf, before it started webbing further up into the air.

The tiniest smile formed on Ira's lips as she was tempted to laugh softly in relief, feeling the wind above the trees flutter through her reaching energy-

Something rustled the leaves nearby to her right.

Her eyes immediately snapped open and glanced to the side, her body flinching as that tree she peered at suddenly erupted in splintering wood as the energy inside it shattered.

"N-No…" Ira quickly scrambled to her feet, running through her field of energy to fall to her knees next to the tree's destroyed roots.

A small white rabbit with antlers lay on its side, curled up with the first signs of blood starting to seep through the fur of its limp leg. Fragments of wood lay embedded in its skin, and its already dulling eyes stared in a petrified fear when it saw Ira kneel next to it.

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… to-" Something hard struck Ira in the stomach and she fell back. Three smaller rabbits with newly grown antlers barred their teeth at her, the girl's wide eyes starting to water over. "I-I didn't mean t-to…"

The three young creatures continued to protect their wounded mother, and Ira's hands quickly pushed into the grass to start crawling away.

Her breathing was starting to quicken, the fingers clutching the crystallized ground beneath her starting to tremble again as her acute senses started to go haywire.

Every little vibration in the ground suddenly became deafening, little ripples of wind brushing against bark searing into her skin as her body seized up and she clutched her head.

Another tree burst as another rustle of leaves shook her mind from the other side of the clearing.

The scattering of fragments echoed louder than anything else, and a scream locked in her throat as another tree burst.

Her body curled up as those fragments fell in thundering crashes, eyes squeezing closed as the air around her grew unbearably hot.

The wind picked up a little and her entire body locked up, hand jamming into the grass as her legs tightened and her piercing scream ripped through the tree canopy above her.

A flock of birds scattered into the air as all the trees around her shattered... breaking apart in a silently rupturing ground.

* * *

"Ira?"

Anoel cautiously stepped through the ruined forest, boots trekking softly over the overturned ground as she waded through a sea of floating splinters.

Her shimmering eyes glowed softly in the night air, the fragments of the moon bearing down on the open ground as she made her way toward the curled up heat signature of her daughter.

"Ira… just stay put, alright? I'm coming over to you," Anoel spoke out, stepping around a crumbling hole in the ground.

"S-Stay away…"

Anoel grimaced at the brokenness in Ira's voice, a hoarseness prominent over the usual light flutter of the girl's tone. "You can't hurt me, Ira."

"Y-You're wrong!" Ira's body curled up more in the empty clearing she secluded herself in, ragged breath racking her lungs as Anoel saw the signs of tears gleaming over the young girl's face. "I-I don't w-want to hurt you! Just stay back!"

Anoel's steps grew closer anyway, the woman coming to a soft stop beside her as Ira tightened her grip around her legs and pulled herself in even more.

Shutting herself away like she always did.

"There's nothing you can do to hurt me, Ira…" Anoel slowly lowered to her knees beside her trembling daughter, resting her hand on the ground to support herself as she lowered herself further to lie next to Ira. "You'll get the hang of it eventually. Don't worry about that. All it takes is time."

The woman brought her arms around the curled up girl in front of her and pulled her in, resting her chin on the cold head of hair of her daughter before kissing it softly.

Ira's arms finally pulled away from her legs, letting them straighten out before sliding her hands around Anoel.

She let herself get buried in that warmth again, breathing still raspy and shaky, but she was trying. She was always trying.

"Just give it time. It'll come to you."

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 _Character Ownerships (as they appear):_

 _Xera: Ira, Anoel, Sapphira_

* * *

 **Meet Ira! You'll be seeing her often here, considering she's one of two main characters for this story.**

 **The next chapter will introduce the other main character.**

 _ **oOo Collab Rules:**_

 **Chapters that include both main characters interacting with one another will be set in the perspective of our individual story's main character.**

 **So, in here, scenes like that will be from Ira's perspective. Whereas in Username's story, it'll be in their character's perspective.**

 **That's a unique case, though. Specifically when our two MC's interact. The rest will be posted as normal in both stories.**

 _ **oOo Story Premise:**_

 **The whole premise of the story is centered on a tragic romance, so it'll be mostly character interaction and some plot. Canon characters will be prominent, as well, once they get to Beacon.**

 **These first several chapters take place before the arcs at Beacon actually start.**

 _ **oOo Yuri Warning:**_

 **If you haven't figured it out by now, this story has yuri (female x female). This is your first, and only, warning. Basically every relationship this story has/will have will very likely be yuri.**

 **Hope I drove that warning in far enough.**

 **If you like that though, you'll probably like the pairings here.**

 _ **oOo One Final Note:**_

 **This story is a collab between myself, A New Username, and HydraFlow. Hydra's mainly only here to have input for his specific characters, though. Whom you'll meet later on.**

 **I still listed him as a co-author anyway.**

 **Bite me.**


	2. Kids

**Author's Note: Yo, RWBY fans! A New Username here with the opening commentary!**

 **Aaaaaand we're back with the introductory chapter for my main character! Some other characters will also be introduced this installment as well, so for future reference, the character written in first person is mine, and the ones written in third person are the brainchildren of Xera and Hydra.**

 **Something I want to clear up regarding this story to head off any misunderstandings before they occur: though my character is basically the only one written in first person, that does not make her any more significant than Ira, the other main character. First person is just kinda my default writing style due to my tendency to write very introspective characters who get lost in thought easily. Sue me.**

 **Anyway, go ahead and read. Xera will be handling the bottom author's note, since they deserve to get to say something in chapters with scenes from their characters' perspective and all. So, bye for now!**

* * *

Timeless Awakening

Kids

«»

"Hah… I'm broke again, looks like," I thought aloud as I folded my empty wallet again and deposited it back into my black denim jacket's inner breast pocket. "Well, back to sleeping in trees it is, I guess. May as well scout out that park I passed by not too long ago… I remember it having a forest on the back edge."

With a nod to myself, I did an about face, my long, straight blonde hair splaying out in a wide arc before starting to swing rhythmically from side to side as I began walking to my new destination. I took a look over to the right – the sun still had a ways to go before it started setting, but judging by its position, schools had probably been out for a little while.

Not too terribly long, but enough time had passed that I knew I could expect to find kids of various ages playing around without a care in the world.

 _I'm not good… with kids…_

It wasn't that I didn't know how to act around them. I could handle myself around kids just fine, they weren't exactly hard to please or entertain. But at the same time… I envied them, I really did.

There were so many things they just didn't have to think about at their ages – sure, responsibilities increased gradually the older they got, but eventually there was an endpoint to the burdens they had to bear.

Even if that endpoint would only come when they died for some of them… it was a single droplet of rainwater falling into the ever-rising ocean of history in the grand scheme of things.

 _But my burdens are… well, it's really not a fair comparison, though, is it?_

I had no ill will toward kids, teens or even adults. Even the ones who hated me. Even the ones who hurt me. Even the ones who left scars on me that still have yet to fade even a little, after all this time.

Sure, I might get mad at them in the moment, but I'd never been the type to hold a grudge. That said, interacting with them could be painful even when they did me no wrong. It often served to remind me of my place, of what set me apart from them, the gaping chasm between myself and everyone I met.

And I noticed this disconnect most quickly and sharply when dealing with kids.

The younger they were, the worse it got.

 _Although, I suppose… I do have one kindred spirit who walks down this path of life alongside me. I wonder how that person is doing now…_

I chuckled to myself, shrugging my shoulders as my gaze returned to the sidewalk in front of me.

"Though I guess it's not really my business anymore. And either way, it's a less pressing issue right now than finding a good tree to sleep in later tonight. Not like a wandering bum like myself would have a secretary to find it for me."

I could see the entrance to the park off in the distance. In fact… the wooden corral-style fences for the park stretched all the way back to where I already was and beyond.

This far out, I couldn't see any of the playground equipment which I had noticed earlier upon passing by the entrance – just an open field, a lake on the left, and in the back, the vast expanse of a forest which I needed to search for a sleeping spot. And since that was the case, then my next move would be obvious.

"People ditching route it is," I replied in a peppy voice.

If for no reason other than self-amusement, I jumped clean over the fence, clearing it by a good five feet effortlessly and doing a flip through the air before fluidly rolling into a light jog the moment I hit the ground. Although I suppose by light jog standards, I was still moving pretty fast…

 _But not fast enough, apparently._

It was faint, but as I dashed through the field, I definitely heard two distinct voices… and they were talking about me. I didn't see them before I made the jump, but the explanation was simple – I hadn't been looking as far to the right as where those voices came from, so I wouldn't have been able to see them. And worst of all…

"Did that girl just fly?" one voice asked in a jubilant female voice.

The other voice's response came shortly thereafter, sounding calm, cool, and collected. "No, she jumped really high."

"But she flipped," the first voice responded doubtfully, as if she'd never seen a person jump high enough to flip in midair.

"Over a fence, yes," the other deadpanned, seemingly the wiser one of the two.

"Can we follow?" _Oh god, please, no…_

"Sure." _Damn it_. "I'm not jumping, though."

I was already passing into the treeline, but even so I still had no reason to engage them. They'd surely get bored of following a perfect stranger around.

And judging by how young they sounded, they might not even follow me into the forest… and even if they did, they'd eventually grow tired of watching me look for a good tree to sleep in. It wasn't exactly the most exciting activity in the world, so surely they'd get bored sooner or later.

That was my first miscalculation.

* * *

Fifteen solid minutes of tree searching later, the two young girls still hadn't grown tired of following me. And how did I know this?

Because I could hear literally every footstep they made, and they all went in my direction. It was like they weren't even trying to be quiet. But even if they were, against my sharpened senses their efforts to conceal themselves wouldn't work.

Not that they didn't have more than their fair share of… missteps along the way.

As if on cue, a short distance behind me, I heard a soft thumping sound, and felt the ground's super subtle vibrations.

Looked like one of them tripped on something and fell flat on her face… my first impulse was to turn around and approach them to see if the girl who fell was okay, but I stopped myself just short of doing it.

They were the ones who decided to follow me around in the forest, this wasn't my problem to deal with…

"Ow… my nose…" _Looks like she hurt herself… I hope it's not too bad._

"Shh! She'll hear you," the other girl, the one who suggested they follow me, admonished her friend, seemingly ignorant of how loud her own scolding had been.

After the crunching of twigs while she stood back up and a few pats to dust herself off, the one who tripped responded. "No duh. Not like there's any other noise out here."

Apparently not done with her amusing, if a little hypocritical scolding on volume, she continued. "Yeah, so why don't you put your book away and look where you step?"

"I'm at a good part." _I understand the feeling, girl, I really do._

"Bookmark it," the scolder commanded.

"It's a really good part." _I get how you feel, but shouldn't you at least_ try _to humor your friend here…?_

"If you trip on something else, I'm gonna have to carry you," the scolder declared, seemingly undeterred by her command being so blatantly shot down.

"I don't care. Just lemme finish this chapter." The apparent avid reader seemed to have no regard for her friend's wishes, only interested in losing herself in whatever book she was currently reading. It occurred to me that she and my kindred spirit would probably get along rather well, all things considered. Not that I even knew where said kindred spirit was anymore…

"Fine. But she can totally hear us." _Um, really? I've been able to hear you the entire time you've been following me… this is by no means a new development._

"Probably. She has ears." Maybe it was just my imagination, but the more the two talked with each other, the more I felt an affinity for this one in particular. Something about her levelheaded, unforgivingly blunt and honest personality really had its way of drawing me in.

"I should stop talking..." _Not like it'll help you at this point…_

"You should."

I said nothing as I continued walking through the forest, head turned towards the sky to survey the trees for good branches. The ideal setup had changed since the idea of sleeping in a tree first came to me – now that I was being followed by a couple of tweens, I had to find a branch which not only had the strength and width to comfortably support my weight, but was also high enough in the air that basic levels of aura manipulation to amplify physical capabilities wouldn't be enough to reach it.

 _They probably wouldn't be capable of anything super advanced at their ages… a hundred feet or so should do the trick._

Apparently, though, they were finally starting to question things… because I could once again hear them mumbling amongst themselves while they tailed me.

They probably _thought_ I couldn't hear them, judging by how they'd intentionally lagged further behind me than usual before starting… but it wasn't near enough distance to be out of my hearing range, given how far my experiences in battle had honed my senses.

"Why do you think she's wandering through the forest alone, anyway?" the voice I'd come to associate with the term scolder asked.

 _A better question would be why you decided to follow the strange person wandering through the forest alone as far as you did…_

Her reader friend seemed to mull it over for a few seconds, humming quietly to herself, before coming up with something. "Maybe she's looking for something she hid."

Ooh… being so absorbed in her book had cost her there. She clearly hadn't been paying close attention to me since we entered the forest… why exactly would I be hiding something in the literal treetops I kept gazing at?

 _Speaking of… that over there looks to be the biggest tree in the entire forest so far. It towers over the others so much that I can't even see its branches from this angle…_

"But what could she hide up in the trees? That's where she's been looking the whole time…" came the other girl's rather astute observation. Or at the very least, I was pretty sure that counted as perceptive at her age… I hadn't dealt with kids their age in so long that I didn't even know what the current standards of intelligence were for them anymore.

They both sounded only thirteen.

Regardless, if that tree's branches were as big as its massive trunk, then my search for a spot to sleep would be at an end. I could easily ditch these two kids whilst pretending I never noticed them by simply jumping up into a branch of my choice.

After having them nipping at my heels for so long, it felt a bit anticlimactic to just pretend I didn't notice them, but it was the easiest way to avoid having to deal with any of the complex problems that arose when interacting with other human beings.

 _Just a few more weeks here, and I'll be long gone, off to aid the next kingdom from behind the scenes like I always do. All ties to other people do is weigh me down… and since I can't even find solace in my kindred spirit anymore, I've lost all reason to associate with anyone but the enemies upon which I turn my swords. Besides…_

"I was never any good with kids anyway," I whispered to myself as I picked up the pace.

Before long, I found myself directly under this behemoth of a tree. Looking at it up close like this, it had to be at least twenty feet wide in diameter. It also appeared to be of a different breed than the rest of the green forest – in fact, a lot of the trees surrounding it seemed to be of the same red variety, just much, much younger, and even they were bigger than the other trees in the wood. The highest point they reached was still lower than the lowest of tree branches sprouting off of this goliath.

I knocked on its trunk to test it to make sure it wasn't dead. If I were to try and sleep on a dead tree branch, it would be less capable of supporting my weight than if it were alive, and it could end up breaking in my sleep.

And while I wasn't particularly worried about injuring myself from the fall, it would be a much more jarring and uncomfortable way of waking up than by the simplest essence of life, the rays of light emanating from the rising sun.

But based on the sounds it made, this tree was very much alive and well. To call it young would be a blatant lie, it was clearly the oldest tree in the forest, but it still seemed to be going strong. If I were a gambler, and indeed I was, I'd bet that it'd grow another fifteen feet in diameter before it stopped growing, let alone died.

All of a sudden, my hand came to a stop as I remembered something I did the last time I was in this location. I planted a single seed which I'd been carrying with me at the time because the grassy plains were too barren for my tastes.

Back then, this place could hardly be called a town – it had yet to even be inhabited by people at the time. The place had changed so much since I last came here that I almost didn't recognize it, but this tree made the memories come flooding back.

 _Those were some good times… things were so simple back then. Things have really changed, haven't they? And yet as the very landscape around it changed, this tree… it continued to grow and survive, unwavering. And even though I'd forgotten all about it, it didn't get upset… it just gently reminded me by jogging my memories a little._

I patted the trunk gently with my hand, almost as if petting a stray cat. "You've still got plenty of vitality left in you, don't you, old buddy? You won't be leaving me behind any time soon."

"What's she doing?" one of the voices came back.

"Talking to the tree."

"Why…?"

"You can always ask her yourself."

The confused question from behind me brought me back from the haze of nostalgia and reminded me to focus on the present task at hand. I looked up for a good branch to land on. Ideally one whose top couldn't be seen from the ground. It wouldn't be the one I'd sleep on, but it would work wonders in losing these two girls.

I briefly felt a pang of guilt wash over me as I considered what would happen after that. They'd been following after me this whole time – did they even know how to get out of the forest by themselves? If they got into any danger while I was here, having led them here myself even if not on purpose, it would be my fault. But I quickly brushed such thoughts aside.

If they got lost, I could simply come back down and lead them back out to the park area. And if they ran into a dangerous animal, I could just protect them, and _then_ lead them out of the forest.

I could sense their presences even if they weren't anywhere near me using a basic sensory technique I had mastery over, so I just had to make sure to intervene if they really seemed to be lost or in danger later on, simple as that.

 _There's a good branch. Looks like it's ditching time._

I crouched down, tensing my leg muscles for a jump. This would be a bit of a complex maneuver, considering there was another branch in between my current position and the one I wanted to land on, but what would the fun and adventure of a clean shot be?

All it'd do is serve to slightly weaken my reaction times against unintended target enemies in battle, and I _definitely_ didn't want that.

"Well… here goes nothing."

Before the girls behind me even had a chance to process what I said, I released the tension in my legs and sprung up through the air. The first hundred feet or so were met with no obstacles – this tree's branches didn't start that low.

But at around the hundred fifty foot mark, I knew that if I didn't do something, my head would collide face-first into a tree branch which could easily send me hurtling back towards the ground.

Naturally, as I often tended to when training my reaction time, I waited until the last possible moment to do anything about the situation. But then, just before I would've hit it, I thrust my hands forward and caught the side of the branch at just the right angle to use it to swing off of.

After I let go, I had significantly less momentum, but I'd gained back just as much control and precision of movement, allowing me to do an aerial flip for flair and stick the landing on my intended branch with ease.

I shrugged my shoulders, a proud smile dancing across my lips. "Well, that solves that."

* * *

"She jumped again…" Astra said, staring up from the base of the tree that girl was talking to. She slipped her hands idly into the tight pockets of her black jeans before turning her gaze to her sister, the tip of her black sneaker tapping the ground.

She wore a steel-gray thin half jacket, a white t-shirt hugging her thin body beneath its open material.

"I told you, I'm not jumping," Aaryn muttered, her own clothes matching the girl's next to her in a few small ways. She wore a thin dark-gray sweater with a black tank-top beneath it, a simple pair of black track pants adorning her legs.

Her own set of black sneakers stood lightly on the ground as she responded to her sister without looking, both of their heads of platinum blonde hair almost appearing pale in the light of the evening sun.

The strands contrasted starkly against their darker sets of clothing, something they liked to do. Seeing as it blended well with their pale skin tones.

It also helped accentuate one small fact, too.

The fact they were twin sisters, and only thirteen years old.

Aaryn flicked to the next page of her book with a delicate touch, eyes roaming over the top of it for a moment before she found a stopping point.

A new chapter title.

The girl's voice grew exasperated, her book snapping closed with a soft pop. "Okay. Are we still following?"

"I kind of want to. She just straight up jumped into the sky. Didn't you see that?" Astra asked, placing small hands on her hips as she leaned around the wide trunk of the tree. "Or were you reading?"

"She didn't use aura. That was just her body's ability," Aaryn replied, poking lightly at the place the strange girl touched earlier. "I guess it was easier than trying to climb it."

"That's… pretty impressive. To jump like that."

Aaryn sighed quietly as she looked at her sister, pursing her lips pensively for a moment. "You really wanna talk with her, don't you…?"

Excited eyes turned back before they dipped in a quick nod. Aaryn just let out another breath as she shook her head, rolling her shoulders for a moment to loosen her wrapped wings. "Fine. I kind of want that too."

"Sweet! Let's see if she's still up there." Astra stepped up beside her twin sister and helped the girl straighten her wings out, hands tugging lightly to guide the black appendages out of Aaryn's sweater.

The invisibly sewn slits in the back of her own jacket opened slightly as she brought hers out too, Astra turning around to let Aaryn mess with them a bit before they were fully out.

They weren't the _best_ fliers ever, but they were still good enough to go straight up.

Probably.

"Hey, if you hit a branch and fall," Astra started with a quirked smile, cocking her head a little at her blonde sister. "I'll catch you."

"Sure. Assuming you don't hit one too," Aaryn replied with a light laugh, stepping back from her sister as she flexed her wings.

Astra gave a firm nod before watching Aaryn kick off the ground, giving her thin wings a strong flap to start climbing around the base of the tree.

She followed soon after, keeping behind the girl as they both swept up the length of the tree in a circling spiral pattern. The lowest branches came into view fairly quickly, Aaryn glancing back for a moment before gliding around the first one they came across.

Astra's eyes followed the movement before doing the same, banking around the same branch to fall back in line with the path her sister was mapping out.

They threaded their way through a few more and silently climbed their way to the top, twisting past the thickest of branches to start homing in on the girl sitting on one of the highest ones further up.

They were almost there.

But Astra's sky blue eyes started to transition into yellow as she saw a cluster of branches just ahead of Aaryn, the limbs a little too tightly packed.

There was only enough space to get through if they retracted their wings.

And that was one of the harder maneuvers for Aaryn to get down.

"Hey, Aaryn?" Astra quickly said, closing the distance she had with her sister by a small margin. "We can just go around. That's too small a gap."

Her sister glanced down for a moment before looking back up, eyeing the place she wanted to go. "No, we can fit. It's faster too."

"Yeah, but... you've never really been-"

"If I fall, you said you'd catch me, right?" Aaryn asked calmly, going just slow enough to wait for a response.

"Of course," Astra immediately replied, slowing down now too in order to give her sister some rebound space. "But you also don't have to push yourself."

"If I don't do that, I won't get any better." Aaryn's voice came back surely, forcing a sigh out of Astra before the girl came to a full stop now and let her sister climb the rest of the distance to the pocket of branches above.

Astra hovered for a moment before tensing her body a little, floating back and forth anxiously as she watched her sister speed back up. "Just don't think about it!"

Aaryn's hands seemed to curl up into little fists before she twisted slightly in the air, starting to tuck her wings in to fit through the small gap in the branches.

But as her sister down below watched, the faint tap of Aaryn's wing hitting the hard wood as she passed through was unmistakable.

Thin black wings immediately pushed downward as Astra dashed upward. She quickly slipped through the same gap her sister did before grabbing hold of Aaryn's ankle, stopping her before she could careen into a branch above her.

A quick tug pulled Aaryn into Astra's grasp, one twin sister falling snugly into the other's arms before any more damage could happen.

"You okay?" Astra's eyes immediately focused on her sister's face and the way she clutched her wing, trying to spot out any signs of injury.

But the two eyes looking back at her glanced up for a moment before widening.

"B-Branch!"

Something hard struck Astra's head before she could trace that wide gaze, her body immediately reeling back in pain. Aura shot across her frame in a shimmer as she clutched her twin sister to her chest, wings falling limp.

The clear vision she had before grew dazed as they started to plummet back down, Aaryn's voice growing muffled under the spinning array of branches above them.

And in an attempt to clear the throbbing pain in her head, Astra's eyes blinked hard, but her bearings were only thrown more off balance when something else hit them.

Everything suddenly stopped as the two twins fell into a pair of arms, the two getting held tight for a moment as that catcher landed on a branch nearby.

"To think I was being followed by two Phoenix of all people!"

Astra finally shook her head hard enough to clear her vision, eyes staring up at the girl from before.

The same one they were following.

"Didn't see that one coming," the girl spoke again, tossing a casual smile down to the twins she clutched.

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 _Character Ownerships (as they appear):_

 _Username: Kamiko_

 _Xera: Aaryn, Astra (help from Hydra)_

* * *

 **Recently added the character ownership tags to make it easier to see who owns which specific characters. However, they'll only ever appear once per character.**

 _ **As**_ **they appear, specifically.**

 **So, when a character is first revealed, you'll see who owns them and who'll be the one writing for them in these collabs.**

 **With Aaryn and Astra, I write for both of them. But in instances where Hydra's involved, in scenes that incorporate more interaction, he takes over the job of writing for Astra.**

 **It better fits our personalities that way.**

 **Anyway, too many bold words. So, I'll leave it off here.**

 **Username said the rest of the important stuff above.**


	3. Tag

Timeless Awakening

Tag

«»

"So, you two okay?"

When they were set down, Astra carefully lowered Aaryn to her feet and gave a small nod. "I'm fine. But…"

Aaryn carefully removed her wing from Astra's grasp as she nodded her head too, offering a partially reassuring smile.

"It's fine." Her eyes then turned to the girl for a moment before looking at her confusedly. "I thought you were trying to avoid us."

"Nah, I was just looking for a tree to suit my purposes," the older girl responded, pointing to the point where the branch they stood on met with the trunk of the tree, her smile faltering for the faintest of moments, almost imperceptible. "You two just happened to come along for the ride. When I jumped, I was weight testing the branches."

"You jumped because you didn't think we'd be able to follow you up," Aaryn stated, knowing she was at least partially right.

The girl seemed to shift her weight for a moment as she met Aaryn's gaze again, keeping it effectively calm and collected. "I might have been hoping you'd see I was going into the forest and decide it wasn't worth it... it gets dangerous out here after dark."

She was worried about their safety? What about her own?

"Needless to say, I was not factoring potential wings into that train of thought."

"We were bored. And you were the most interesting thing around," Astra cut in this time, offering a small shrug of her shoulder.

The girl balked. It was quite clear that she didn't know quite how to respond to that. "Me? Interesting? You know you're talking to the girl who just talked to a _tree_ , right? Sure 'weird' isn't the right word?"

Aaryn and Astra shared a glance for a moment before they looked back to the girl's torn sleeves, gazes finding their way back to the girl's again.

"Weird's just another kind of interesting," Aaryn said.

A small pause filtered into the air as the stranger sighed.

"Fair enough, kids. But I'd say the most interesting ones here are the pair of Phoenix twins, a rarity among rarities, standing right in front of me." The two before her shared another look. There was that word again. "I don't think I've ever met a pair before... let alone twins of your kind."

"How'd you know what we were?" Astra asked. They were the only Phoenix in the kingdom, or at least that's what they were told growing up.

"I'm a bit of a free spirit. I travel all the time, all over the place, helping out whenever a little extra power is needed," the older girl said, holding up her toned left bicep and placing her other hand atop it as she flexed her arm muscles proudly. They… weren't very big. Just toned. "I've met all kinds of people, some from a few races even rarer than yours… though never twins from any of those."

Aaryn cocked her head confusedly as she heard that, the whole thing sounding earnest and believable. Which only made it worse. "But… we've been the only bloodline still alive."

"Well, think of it this way. There are at least two of you still alive right now. Those other, rarer friends of mine? Weren't that many of them," the girl explained, the sparkle in her eyes dimming a little for the faintest of moments. "As for how I knew, I do have a decent-sized collection of books that I've read over the years which talked about your kind in more detail than you'd expect."

Aaryn only pulled one thing out of that, her fingers clutching at the book she still held at her side. "There are… books on Phoenix?"

She didn't ask how or why this girl even had them. That wasn't in her wording. She was more shocked those books even existed.

They were all supposed to be destroyed.

Seemingly undeterred by the doubt in Aaryn's eyes, the girl simply reached a hand inside her jacket pocket. "Yup. Though not a whole lot of them are solely dedicated to your kind, I do have a couple informationals with sections on Phoenix. I happen to have one on me which fits that bill right now. Wanna see it?"

Astra rolled her eyes as Aaryn's own suddenly widened, a gleam of excitement rushing over her irises while her twin sister just shook her head.

"She's a bookworm. Of course she'll wanna see it," Astra muttered, passing off a small smile as Aaryn glared at her.

"Don't you know how rare those are?"

Astra just shrugged and poked her sister teasingly. "I find more entertainment in seeing _you_ get excited about books than _me_ forced to read them."

"Yeah, yeah. You say that a lot," Aaryn quickly turned her gaze back to the girl in front of them as she bounced a little on their branch, blonde hair swaying with her. "Do you really have a book like that on you right now?"

The stranger's smile became playful as she pulled a book in pristine condition out of her jacket and handed it over to Aaryn. "Section seven. Read'em and weep. Heck, I think there's even a subsection on refining aura manipulation in there. Considering the whole branch thing… you might want to check that part out."

Aaryn's hands immediately clasped the book with a tender delicacy most reserved for their own children, despite being a child herself. Her fingers skirted over the edges of the pages for a few moments to take in the pristine state the actual artifact was kept in.

"How old is it?" the smaller girl asked, flipping softly to the section she was told to. And true to the girl's words, there was an entire chapter dedicated to Phoenix.

But not just that. It was… before Kerillor got destroyed.

"It's hard to read, too," Aaryn continued, turning the book slightly as she squinted her eyes and stared confusedly at the open pages. "Some of the letters have accents I haven't seen before, and some don't even look like letters at all."

"As you probably noticed, that one's an oldie," the girl who somehow came into possession of this perfectly preserved book noted with a nod. "So the language used in it is a little… dated. Might need to brush up on older language quirks if it's hard on you. Hmm… I should have a book on the language transitions over time which you could use to translate it somewhere..."

After mumbling the last part to herself, she reached inside her jacket pocket again, then paused briefly as she appeared to be in deep thought. Before long, though, true to her word, she pulled out a book about language and offered it to Aaryn in a repeat gesture.

Aaryn immediately took it and sat herself down on that branch, opening the second book up as she placed the other one open on her lap, stacked on top of her personal book she brought with her. "You had this too…?"

"Weird," Astra muttered, stepping around her sister to balance on the stranger's branch. Her curious eyes fell on the pocket of the girl's jacket before prodding it suspiciously with a poking finger. "What else do you keep in there?"

"Just this," the girl responded before pulling something small and compact out, casually tossing it into the air, and catching it after it did a few flips, the setting sun glinting off the brilliant metal emblem on one side. She then showed the empty interior of her jacket's inside pocket. "My trusty pocket knife and the books are basically all I had on me. I use nature for the rest of my necessities. Been slowly translating the old book with the language book in my head, section by section. Up to section twenty-nine out of fifty-two so far. Planned on going through section thirty before bed tonight."

Astra fluttered up into the air casually to land on the opposite side of the girl's branch, starting to poke at her other pockets too as Aaryn glanced up from her little perch.

"Bed? Do you live nearby?" the twin asked, eyeing the girl again from where she sat. She would've recognized her if she did.

They lived just further into this forest. Their cabin was actually just a few minutes of flight away, now that she thought about it.

"Doubt it. There aren't any other houses out here," Astra pointed out, finally taking her prying hands away from the girl's pockets. The rest were definitely empty. "Wait, were you going to sleep up here?"

Pocketing her pocket knife again, the strange girl raised her hands as if to surrender. "Caught me. Remember my comment about weight testing the branches? I was checking to make sure they'd be safe for sleeping on. Though I haven't chosen a specific branch yet…"

Aaryn cocked her head again as Astra crossed her arms, giving the tall girl an incredulous stare. "Seriously? You're gonna sleep in a tree…?"

Curious eyes roamed over the girl in front of them for another few seconds before turning that gaze to meet with her sister's.

 _Was this girl serious?_

"We don't live too far from here," Aaryn started, looking back up at the total stranger. "Nobody would mind if you stayed the night. Our moms are pretty open with people, but only if they like them."

"Hmm…" the twins watched as the girl hummed softly, eyes distracted for a moment by a large flock of birds scattering out of the trees in the distance.

* * *

It wasn't a bad offer they were making. I hadn't slept in a decent bed in quite some time, so as far as restorative sleep went, accepting would present me with a golden opportunity.

There was only one problem with this train of thought. A glaring flaw which made accepting basically an impossibility.

 _That power influx I felt just now… didn't expect to run into my kindred spirit by accident. I haven't met with them in…_

"Almost fifty years…" I mumbled to myself.

I'd promised her… so I couldn't go with them. I couldn't go back on my word less than a century after I gave it. With that timespan of a distance between that event and this one, I couldn't even decently pretend I forgot about it… even if it was a guarantee that _they_ did.

I smiled sadly down at the twins, ruffling the hair of the one who was still standing. "I really do appreciate the offer, but I'm not really going to be sticking around long. I'd feel bad if you all got attached to me in the time I spent here before I had to just up and leave on you. I said it before, but I'm a free spirit… so staying in one place for too long just isn't part of the package deal with me."

"Don't be ridiculous," the one sitting down said, eyes roaming back down to the two books she had stacked in her lap. The other stayed open in her hands. Which was already a pretty impressive feat in itself, given she sat on a high tree branch.

"Yeah, we're not just gonna let you sleep in a tree and turn down a place to sleep," the other cut in now too, my eyes turning down to a firm gaze peering up from beneath my ruffling hand. "It'll only be for one night."

 _Damn… this weakness of mine hasn't been exploited in a while._

That weakness of mine was the main reason that, no matter what anyone else said, I would tell them over and over again that I'm not good with kids, even if I had to say it a thousand times for them to get it. No matter what they looked like, no matter how mean they could be, and no matter how little sense their assertions made… I could never tell them 'no' for very long.

I withdrew my hand from atop the standing one's head before holding up my index finger alone. "All right… one night it is. Don't say I didn't warn you…"

 _Come to think of it, I may as well use this chance… if there are any injured animals from that power influx I felt just now, I can use this chance to heal them. Haven't had to bust out a Druid technique in a while, but not long enough that I'd be rusty…_

"Good. Then it's settled," the one still standing next to me finished, her blonde hair seeming to bounce for a moment in a childlike nod. "There's still just one more thing though."

"She wants to know your name," the other twin interjected. "We haven't been told it yet."

I chuckled to myself, closing my eyes and resigning myself to my fate with a smile. She was right… we'd gone this entire conversation without introducing ourselves, hadn't we? Being as I hadn't so much as spoken to a single other sentient being in literal decades, though, I didn't really come up with a new one after I made that promise… but I had just the one in mind.

I opened my eyes and exchanged glances with both of them before saying, "It's Kamiko."

 _For my will and word to waver this easily… as far as children of god go, I'm pretty damn pathetic, aren't I? Not that they'd know the meaning of a name from a language which has been dead for literal centuries, anyway…_

When I turned my gaze back to the one beside me, she met my eyes with an unexpectedly cheeky grin.

"Kamiko. I like that name," she spoke, but her widening grin didn't falter in the slightest. When I glanced to the girl's counterpart, the twin sitting down only looked more annoyed than engaged in where this one was leading this.

The tiniest of springs bounced the branch we were standing on as the girl beside me moved around my front this time. And in the fast moment of the girl passing me by, I watched her smile turn into a grin as she tapped my arm with the pad of her finger and leapt off the branch to my right.

"Sneaky one, she is," I commented down at the twin still sitting on the branch.

 _If she wants to play tag with_ me _of all people… she really doesn't know what she's getting into, does she? I'll play along for now…_

"You have no idea," the twin still here said, her cheek squishing cutely into the palm of her hand as I watched her continue to decipher the book I gave her. "She'll only give you her name if you can tag her. It's just a game we play."

"So you're in on it too, huh? I'll give you both a five second head start to get as far away as you can," I offered, smirking cockily. "Because if you think I won't be able to tag you instantaneously at this distance, you're sorely mistaken."

Her eyes glanced up to mine for a moment before she turned them back down to the book in her lap, delicate fingers working to slowly turn to the next page. "I'm not really too interested. It's a lot of work and she usually has to find a way to bribe me into it, so I can just tell you my name anyway."

I shrugged. "Fair enough. And that name is…?"

Those eyes kept their focus on translating the text in her lap, but she seemed to spare a little of it to open her mouth and speak.

"It's Aa-"

I blinked as the girl yelped and suddenly toppled backward, like she was grabbed. Luckily, the books she sent flying fluttered into the air and went just high enough for me to step over and catch, all three snapping shut as they fell into my grasp.

The girl who started this whole game smirked up at me for a moment before darting away, startled twin nestled in her arms.

I chuckled to myself, shrugging my shoulders as I began to make good on my word. "Five… four…"

I still didn't plan to use any of my real speed in this game. That would be reserved for the enemies I knew I'd be fending off before too much time had passed. But I'd still show them at least a little of what trying to win a game of this variety with me could actually be like… right at the end.

"Three… two… one…"

I could already envision the perfect little strategy to catch them off guard, too. If I could get it off, it'd be like killing two birds with one stone. Except, really, it would be the opposite of that, all things considered. I tensed my leg muscles and crouched for a playful jump.

"Ready or not, here I come…" I mumbled to myself, a wicked smile playing at my lips.

* * *

"Awe, come on Aaryn, it'll be fun!" Astra offered, meeting the pouting glare pointed up at her from the girl in her arms. "We'll get to see what she's _really_ made of if we can keep her chasing for long enough."

"Yeah, I get that, but did you really have to pull me like that?" Aaryn muttered back, crossing her arms over her chest as they picked up speed.

Astra's face seemed to turn apologetic for a moment as she smiled down at her sister, hoping that was enough. "You were about to tell her your name. There has to be some incentive for this, you know?"

"I'm still not as fast as you. And I definitely can't fly as long as you either," Aaryn replied again, her eyes trailing behind them for a moment as she watched the tall tree fall further and further away. "You know stuff like this always tires me out."

"Tell you what, I'll rub your wings tonight if you try your hardest not to get caught. Deal?" Astra asked, a pleading look forming in her eyes as she stared down at her twin sister's face.

That stray gaze finally turned back and met with Astra's again, narrowing in contemplation for just a few short seconds before the girl seemed to visibly resign in her carried grasp. "Fine. But you do it until I fall asleep."

Astra's grin turned cheeky again as Aaryn lifted her hands, pressing them into her twin's shoulders before pushing her way out of the girl's grasp.

Two black wings of her own quickly spread again as Astra watched her twin quickly drop into a stable flight just beneath her, Aaryn's gaze looking back up to her for a moment before turning back.

"Left."

 _Already?_

Astra immediately rolled left, breaking away from her previous flight path as Aaryn rolled the other way, the twins' eyes both watching as Kamiko passed straight through the air they'd just been cruising at before falling toward the ground.

And probably to get back at her from before, she even flashed Astra a smirk during her drive-by.

"Did she jump all the way from that tree…?" Astra asked, eyes snapping back to Aaryn, who was just closing the distance again to get to her twin.

"Yeah. She made it look easy too," Aaryn replied, eyes watching Kamiko disappear back into the tree canopy before her analytical gaze snapped to a small rustle two miles from where that figure disappeared. "Dive."

Astra and Aaryn immediately fell thirty feet to let Kamiko's next attempt pass by overhead, a small wave directed down at them as the twins spiralled together and returned it.

"She's playing with us," Astra pointed out.

"Then we just have to make it interesting," Aaryn returned, flashing Astra a small half-smirk. It was a smile that always got Astra's blood going, the girl immediately returning it as she grabbed her twin's hand and shot forward with her wings.

The two dove into a spinning dive as they broke through the tree canopy and split up, working to divert attention through the branches and make tracking them impossible for anyone _actually_ normal.

And beyond that, it made following them and _catching_ them infinitely harder.

Astra's and Aaryn's figures crisscrossed and swapped between the branches of the trees, keeping lower than the canopy itself to avoid the bigger clusters of branches. It made them more visible, but Astra was the only one capable enough to fly through that at this speed.

Aaryn wasn't as precise yet.

But the sure sound of a third body following them through the branches made its way into their ears with every rustle of shaken leaves.

She was _still_ following this closely?

Combat boots planted lightly and quickly against branches as the twins peered behind them, spotting out a radiant blonde-streaked blur of black kicking through the trees to keep up with them.

They needed a new tactic… considering they weren't building any distance at all. Even if the speed they were going was making the trees whip by in hazy blurs.

Aaryn gave her sister a passing look as they crossed paths again, Astra immediately nodding as soon as she saw it before the two took mirrored hard banks and tore off in opposite directions.

They were forcing Kamiko to make a choice on who to follow.

But not who they were expecting.

Astra slipped her way through the branches of a tall tree and took that small window to peer behind her, spotting out that bright streak of her follower's hair before she tore that gaze back ahead of her.

 _So… she went after the harder one to follow._

She was a challenge seeker. Astra actually respected that in people. Kamiko wasn't going for the easier target to make this easier on herself.

The twin smirked to herself as she realized all she had to do was stall now, the bait dragging around on the metaphorical line she was leaving in her wake as she took a hard turn and bulleted to the right again.

All she had to do was keep her following for just long enough to-

"W-Whoa!" Astra had to force her wings down just hard enough to lurch her body upward, Kamiko's raised hand just casually held in the air and so dangerously in the way to getting tagged.

 _How'd she get so far ahead?_ The twin pushed herself up further into the trees to get away from where Kamiko lazily leaned against a tree, Astra's movements becoming erratic and fast as she darted through the branches up top.

She kept away from the forest floor this time. It was a mistake giving Kamiko that kind of advantage to keep up with them.

Astra wasn't even sure if their plan was going to work anymore, especially if she was being pushed this hard to fly so evasively. There was no way Aaryn would even be able to keep up, let alone _catch up_.

The lone twin mapped out a quick path before following it, the blurred branches from before starting to whistle by louder and more dangerously than they were moments ago. A crash at this speed would break half the already hollow bones of her body, but she was skilled enough to avoid that.

She was the better flier of the two, especially at speeds like this. But even so…

"Still?!" Astra dipped down into a vicious swoop as Kamiko kicked her legs idly on a branch ahead of her, the twin watching as stormy gray eyes tracked her blowing by.

 _This girl…_ How was someone _this_ fast?

Astra's eyes frantically peered through the branches as she saw a ray of sky break through, the figure of her sister flying overhead of her slipping through. Aaryn was waving her upward.

The twin below immediately took the nearest route back into the sky, breaking cleanly out of the forest canopy to reach up and take Aaryn's hand. With a swoop already prepared and a building of speed, Aaryn quickly led Astra up toward the clouds, breaking through the white layer of the sky in just a few seconds flat.

"There's a high chance that she has some kind of acute tracking ability," Aaryn said, pulling Astra forward now as the layer of clouds beneath them rolled quietly by. "Either that, or she just has some sort of insane speed in her with the way she was following you."

Astra stared down at the glowing clouds in worry. Even up here, she knew they weren't out of that girl's reach. "I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure she has both."

"It's hard to believe she can have both, but it certainly looks like it," Aaryn replied, following Astra's wide gaze before tightening her hold on her sister's hand. "We can handle going higher if you want."

" _Somehow_ , I doubt that'd help," Astra replied evenly. "She's still holding back."

Aaryn quirked a brow quizzically as she turned her gaze down again, scanning the golden glow of clouds for a second time in the setting sun. "What makes you say that?"

"Because she could've tagged me twice now, but didn't," Astra returned.

"I guess so, but…" Aaryn's voice fell quiet as they passed by an opening in the clouds, a manifesting yellow glow filtering through the trees of the forest below.

 _What was… that?_

The twins came to a slow stop as they peered down into the opening, the bristling leaves of the tree canopy shining with a weirdly ethereal glow for a few solid moments before that light faded away.

It… spanned over an impressively wide area too.

And when it died fully down, they were only reminded how late it was. The light of the sun fading further and further into darkness as they gazed down into the forest below.

"Hey, Aaryn?" Astra muttered quietly, tugging lightly at her sister's arm as she pointed in the direction close to home. "Look…"

Aaryn's gaze drifted over to follow Astra's direction, falling on a large, dark clearing in the canopy far below.

Just behind where they knew their cabin was. It… looked like a large portion of it was… deforested. And the ground looked upturned in every possible way.

Aaryn's gaze silently grew wide before she brought it up to meet with her sister's, a deeply rooted worry falling into the pit of her stomach.

"Ira…"

" _Gotcha_ ," a calm yet smug voice rung out from directly behind them as the twins both felt a light poke to their backs, on the spot in between their wings. "Looks like my distraction tactic worked out."

The twins seemed to hardly notice.

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 **X: *lightly pokes Username***

 **Username: Ahem. Welcome back to chapter three of Timeless ladies and gentlemen! We're doing a joint bottom author's note this time, just for kicks. This chapter's tag scene choreography was written jointly, so it only seems fair (Okay, Xera did most of the work, I just planned out certain events in it. You'll see what my choreography is like soon enough). *Pokes Xera***

 **X: My only job was to show Kamiko's speed… and how she was toying with them… There wasn't any choreography. But despite that, some** _ **actual**_ **choreography will take place down the line. Username will be handling that one. For now, this was just an ambiguous show and tell to garner interest through the twins. Who happen to know Ira.**

 **Username: Well, they did ask for her to play a game with them… so she did, simple as that. :P**

 **X: Astra did. Aaryn got dragged into it with a bribe. Astra's good at doing that...**

 **Username: In all seriousness, yeah, the tag scene was a fun little way to show that Kamiko is on a different level entirely from them. I'd wager we'll see some of what she's really capable of eventually, but for now, it's all fun and games… so she's just gonna mess around with people.**

 **X: She'll get serious eventually. And to avoid an endless back and forth, I'll mention this here. Look forward to meeting Ira's** _ **full**_ **family. You've met most of them already, including this chapter.**

 **Username: Yeah, guys… if you follow Xera's stuff, you'll recognize some of them, but if you're one of** _ **my**_ **followers, you'll have no idea who any of them are lol. But as an audience member for certain scenes which you'll see in due time, let me just say I find certain character relationship dynamics to be… very entertaining.**

 **X: Prepare for flirting.**

 **Username: Xera's underselling it, I assure you.**

 **X: They'll see. Ira's moms are… fun to see interact. Anyway, that's it for now xP.**

 **Username: See you next chapter!**

 **X: These notes are long… maybe we shouldn't do them often xD.**

 **Username: Let's have the readers decide that. XP**


	4. Cooking

Timeless Awakening

Cooking

«»

Something was wrong.

I couldn't place exactly what it was, but I knew the twins must've experienced something which put them incredibly on edge compared to when they were following me before.

While they pursued me, they couldn't be quiet to save their lives, and frequently talked amongst themselves at volumes I could clearly hear. Now, though…

They had nearly gone completely silent, words and actions alike.

Considering where they were looking when I tagged them, I had a pretty good idea of what it was. They'd been looking directly at the area which had been hit by the power influx I sensed before the game of tag started.

The cabin they'd been leading me to for the past little while… it wasn't that far away from that spot which had been utterly obliterated by that wild flow of energy.

 _Just another few hundred feet closer and that influx would've destroyed their house._

I had no way of knowing the circumstances behind that outburst, so I couldn't exactly draw a solid conclusion, but I did notice something in the twins' murky indigo eyes as we walked to the cabin.

Though they were undoubtedly concerned and emotionally bogged down by whatever happened in that part of the forest, it wasn't the kind of concern reserved for oneself. Rather, they seemed to be concerned for someone else.

Which only further cemented the conclusion that I shouldn't have agreed to come with them.

 _If they're not concerned for themselves, that means they might know the person whose power caused that. The person I was never supposed to meet again. The person I promised I'd move on from… for their sake, and for my own._

Not that I could do anything about it at this point. Regardless of how I felt about it, regardless of my obligations, and regardless of my word, it seems Fate had other ideas in mind. It kept us bound together, returning me to this person over and over again, no matter what I said I'd do.

At this point, all I could really do was graciously accept it for the time being. Not like we'd know each other for very long, anyway. I planned to be out of the Kingdom by the end of the month, so it's not like I needed to do the exact opposite of what I promised…

 _But that doesn't mean resisting it will be easy. That force which draws us together… whatever it is, it's definitely got a winning record over me. I only resisted it one time… and I just got lucky I never ran into him._

I could see the cabin coming into view through the trees. Its dark-stained wood stood in sharp contrast to the light green of the grassy clearing which surrounded its immediate vicinity.

Even more so under the ephemerally changing colors that the setting sun gave the forest to bask in. The sun just started to sink past the treeline, if the opposite end of the clearing was anything to go by.

"Are you hungry?"

The first words in a long walk of silence brought my attention back to the twins. When it did, I found Aaryn's face peering over her shoulder to look back at me. Astra's own was doing the same, but probably only out of curiosity for what I had to say.

The mere thought of food which wasn't just found from my environment through scavenging caused my stomach to let out a fierce growl. "Hehe… that probably serves as an answer, doesn't it? Yeah, I could eat."

"Well… I hope you like mediocre food then. I think Anoel cooked tonight," Aaryn responded, naming her mom directly. "Lylac took us to work with her earlier, so she's probably getting home after us. She's the better cook."

That did remind me… they'd mentioned having two moms earlier. Guess that whole stem cell research thing I heard about a few decades back paid off… good for them. Though I could hardly imagine it was a cheap process at this point, considering how long it had been around for.

 _I guess that just goes to show that when you're in love, money is no object._

"Well, considering I'm a surprise guest, my meal wasn't really accounted for," I pointed out, shrugging my shoulders. "So I wouldn't mind cooking my own portion. I've been honing that talent of mine for long enough to be decent at it, at least."

Aaryn and Astra shared a glance in front of me for a moment, before they both shrugged in unison. Yeah, they were definitely twins.

"Can we eat your food then? If you make it?" Astra asked. She almost sounded hopeful for a second, even if the prospect was just someone else cooking a meal for a change.

"We wanna try it," Aaryn tacked on, stopping just at the steps leading up to their door. "We're still gonna eat mom's cooking though. She's not _that_ bad at it."

"Yeah," Astra muttered softly, but I could tell she was holding back a grimace. "At least she's getting better."

The difference in their view of their mom's cooking was as clear as day. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "Sure thing. I'll make enough for you both to get a good taste of it. How much of it you want to eat will be up to you once you've tried it."

The two shared another glance again before Astra turned back to me, Aaryn slowly turning away after the exchange to move up to the door to the cabin. "I guess so. We'll snack on Ano's food while we wait, so it probably won't be very much."

"Sounds good to me," I replied before turning to face the door. "Anyway, let's go inside, shall we?"

* * *

Anoel was sat comfortably on the living room couch down the straight hall from the door, legs curled at her side when the twins pushed their way into the foyer. Ly had been working in the city today, so she knew she'd get back later than usual.

But this was fairly early for her. Especially with the twins with her.

"Home already?" the woman asked, setting her scroll down as she peered over the edge of the couch, eyeing the door. But those curious eyes fell on someone else holding the door behind the twins as her two daughters kicked off their shoes. "Who's this?"

"We promised her a place to stay for the night," Aaryn responded, Anoel's hands finding their way to the top of her backrest as she knelt up on her knees. "Her name's Kamiko."

"Well… dinner's in the fridge if you want to reheat some. There's enough for you too, I suppose," Anoel replied back, carefully watching the new arrival at the door before noticing the way the twins' eyes started to track to the stairs leading to the bedrooms.

"Is Ira home?" Astra asked, already tugging Aaryn toward the steps.

Anoel was quick to leap over the back of the couch and slide across the hardwood floor to get in their way. A small ebony flutter of her wings shot her forward on her socks, exploiting the lack of traction as she darted forward fast enough to pick both girls up and spin to a stop.

"Sorry girls, but Ira's in her room right now," Anoel spoke, smirking as her daughters squirmed in her grasp and tried to wiggle out of her hold. The woman turned a cautious gaze to Kamiko for a moment before turning and starting to walk back down the hall.

Her eyes glanced between Astra and Aaryn as they glanced back to the stairs behind them, hoping to stop their plans before they could begin formulating them.

"Ira had a bad day. Give her some time, all right?" Anoel whispered quietly, quelling their attempts to struggle out of her hold for just long enough to kiss their cheeks.

Ano smiled again before setting the two girls down over the side of the couch, plopping them onto the cushions before turning back to Kamiko by the door.

She was… taller than her. Kamiko held a solid five inches over Anoel, and that difference worsened with the phoenix standing proudly in her socks while the girl across the way still stood in her boots.

How does a girl that young grow to six feet, anyway?

"You can make yourself comfortable. But I do hope the twins haven't been _too_ much of a handful for you," Anoel said, pushing away from the couch to make her way back over to the new arrival. "They haven't stolen anything from you, have they?"

As if she had been frozen and Anoel's words had thawed her out, the girl immediately stepped inside and closed the door behind her, a smile coming to her face. "Pardon the intrusion, then. They've been more fun than I was expecting at first. They haven't stolen anything, but I will be lending Aaryn a book or two of mine that she seemed interested in."

After untying the laces of her boots and gently taking them off, the girl looked around for a moment before her eyes settled on the coat rack above where the twins threw their shoes.

Ano leaned against the wall as the girl took off her sleeveless black denim jacket and hung it on an open hook, then put her discarded boots next to the twins' shoes. After unhooking and pocketing the silver chain from her belt loops, she looked over at her new host with a smile.

"Impressive wing use, by the way," she offered a rather unexpected compliment, giving Anoel a nod. "The twins are really lucky to have you as their eventual teacher."

Anoel quirked a brow as she glanced back to the couch, seeing two sets of eyes peeking back at her before turning her gaze back to Kamiko.

"You saw that?" the woman asked, crossing her arms lightly over her chest as she let her weight shift to her shoulder. The girl didn't give off the impression of possessing a high perception like that, but it's hard to predict what Semblances people would have these days.

"She's really fast mom," Astra commented from behind, a small rustle of arms sliding over the couch as Ano heard her settle in. "And she can jump really high."

"Accurately too," Aaryn added.

Strength, speed, agility, and spatial comprehension at a high level. Anoel lowered her quirked brow as she leveled the girl with an even look, something that hid away her curiosity.

"So, you kept up with them," she concluded. "That explains how you saw my wings. Given the fact they were only out for a fraction of a second."

Kamiko shrugged her shoulders walking further into the house from the entrance. "Well, I suppose I do live life a bit on the edge. Having high speed, strength and perception is a bit of a requirement, considering the work I do as I travel."

"You're a young huntress then? What school?" Anoel asked, leaning away from her position against the wall to lead Kamiko into their living area.

"Self taught, actually," the taller girl responded as she followed her host inside. "Kinda had to teach myself in order to survive… and to protect the things and people I value more than myself."

Anoel's lips grew into a pensive purse as she heard that, stopping by the end of the couch to look down at the twins sitting on its cushions. "I know the feeling."

Self taught though… that's impressive.

But to already be able to keep up with the twins in a game of tag? That's… kind of hard to believe.

"My daughters tend to be a good judge of character, so I can trust what they see in you. Though, I hope you don't mind if I still ask my questions," Anoel continued, bringing her gaze back up to meet with Kamiko's. "I'm their protective mother after all. It's my job."

Kamiko smiled warmly as she walked past the living room, towards the kitchen. "By all means, ask away. I'm an unknown to you, so it is the responsible thing to do. Why don't we chat while I cook something? You didn't expect me, so if I ate what you cooked, it'd be eating someone else's share. Plus, I promised the twins I'd let them try my cooking."

Anoel hummed quietly as she glanced to the kitchen, immediately dropping a cold gaze to the two on the couch. "A promise to let them try your cooking, huh?"

Astra innocently beamed up at her while Aaryn diverted a neutral gaze to the ground. So, that's how it was.

"Well, they've always been curious, so feel free to cook what you'd like." Anoel's glare immediately melted into an amused smile, something that made her look of offense appear entirely fake. "Honestly, you're saving me the shame of making my kids eat dry fish. So go for it."

Kamiko walked into the kitchen and took a look around. She appraised the spacious room, large enough to have a black marble island counter run down the middle of it, before her eyes settled on the shiny matching fridge on the other end.

She mumbled something about seeing what was on hand before walking over to it and pulling the door open by its gleaming obsidian handle, Anoel stepping softly into the kitchen behind her to watch. After a few moments of scanning the contents therein, she closed the door again and nodded to herself before opening the nearby spice cabinet to take stock of its contents, almost as if she knew what would be inside.

"Looks like we're making chicken curry and rice tonight. Now, to find the cookware and some good spices to play with… feel free to start the questions whenever, by the way," she said, turning back and flashing Anoel an inviting smile.

Anoel sat herself at the island as she glimpsed her daughters making themselves comfortable on the couch again, the two still partially in view through the open door frame leading back into the other room.

"How did they convince you to come home with them?" Anoel started, bringing her gaze back to Kamiko as the woman rested her arms against the counter in front of her.

The girl, clearly knowing her way around a kitchen, had already assembled a collection of spices on the marble counter by the fridge, and had just opened another cabinet to find, yet again on her first try, where the cookware was stored.

It almost looked like she already knew where everything was, and that caught Anoel's attention the more familiarity this girl displayed.

"I'm broke, so I was planning to sleep in the forest, but they ended up following me through it until I found a good tree to sleep in," Kamiko started, her smile softening as she recalled the scene. "They ended up trying to follow me up into the tree, but got caught up in the branches, so I had to save them from falling. That sparked a conversation, and well… when they learned I was planning to sleep in a tree, they wouldn't take no for an answer. Though… admittedly, I have a hard time turning down offers like that to begin with."

She pulled out a pot and a pan, placing them both on the island before walking past Anoel toward one of the oven-stove combos which sat opposite the fridge. She messed with it as if she'd owned it for years and knew exactly how it worked, turning it on and setting the oven to preheat to a very specific temperature.

She then walked back to the spice cabinet and pulled out a canister of rice, then poured a generous amount of it into the pot and took it past the window between the fridge and ovens over to the sink, pouring cold water into it and leaving it there for the moment. She went back to the cookware cabinet and pulled out a dutch oven pot, moving it over to the stove and then turning the heat on to mid-high.

Anoel had pulled open her scroll in the meantime, one recently sent message sitting on her screen letting Ly know the twins were home. And with a guest. "Why does that not surprise me…?"

She hummed amusedly as she rested her device down on the counter, bringing her full attention back to Kamiko as she walked about the kitchen. It was almost suspiciously perfect the way she knew where everything was.

And coincidentally, to top it off, that she'd end up here for the night too.

But trying to peer into the girl's aura through use of her own Semblance only rose Anoel's curiosity, no readings of any kind of information filtering back at all. It was almost like she was being blocked out.

Anoel's only ever knew two people to ever fully negate her information gathering Semblance like that. And one of those was Ira.

"For someone who moves around as much as you do with nothing tying you down, you'd think you would've saved up a little lien helping out the villages. Not interested in being rewarded for your help?" Anoel asked, eyeing Kamiko as she finished prepping the stove.

Kamiko went back over to the spice cabinet and pulled out a bottle of oil, walking it back over to the heating dutch oven before opening the lid with one hand. As she held the lid, she dexterously flipped the cap on the oil bottle open before pouring some out into the large pot. Finished with that task, she closed the lid again and moved back over to the fridge, opening it and pulling out a plucked chicken with one hand. She carried it with her back to the cookware cabinet, where she pulled out a cutting board.

She placed the chicken on the cutting board, then placed that on the island countertop before turning around and grabbing a large kitchen knife from the knife rack below the spice cabinet. As she began to cut the chicken up, she finally gave her answer.

"Most of the work I do is behind the scenes," she explained, shrugging her shoulders as she made the work of cutting out all the usable meat from the chicken look like child's play. "I usually kill off the Grimm before they ever make it to their intended destination village, so if I do get money, it's typically because I directly saved an individual person or other people from a Grimm attack on the road. So I don't make a whole lot of money unless I get a job, but since I travel so much, that's something of a rarity."

In no time at all, she'd separated all the usable meat from the husk of the chicken's skin. She took the parts she didn't need or couldn't use and took them over to, what appeared to be a cabinet at the entrance to the kitchen, closest to the front door. With her right foot, she rolled out the trash can, once again, as if she knew it was there from the start, and then she dropped the chicken skin and unusable parts right in before rolling it closed with just as much dexterity as she opened it with.

Anoel watched everything unfold as she rested her cheek in her hand, humming distractedly to herself. "With abilities like you have, you wouldn't have to sleep in trees if you actually took up the jobs you're already dealing with. So, there's a good chance you're avoiding something. Whether that's praise or awareness that you exist, I don't know."

Ano tapped the counter lightly as Kamiko went over to the cookware cabinet again and pulled out a small bowl, setting it on the counter by the spices.

"You're a hard person to read, Kamiko. But I hope the reason you're wandering so much isn't going to bring danger to my family," Anoel continued.

She could clearly take care of herself, though, which was the only thing confusing Anoel. If this girl really was running from something, what could someone like her possibly be afraid of confronting?

Curious eyes watched Kamiko unscrew the caps on all the spice containers she had gathered before turning around and reaching down to a drawer on the island, pulling it open and fetching a small spoon, as well as a wooden soup ladle. She collected spoonfuls of varying sizes from each spice container and dropped them in the bowl one by one, making sure to mix them together perfectly in between each new spoonful.

Soon satisfied with her homemade seasoning, she went back over to the dutch oven with it and the ladle, dexterously balanced said ladle atop her knee, then opened the lid and poured the seasoning in. Once done, she set the bowl aside and picked up the ladle, using it to mix the seasoning in with the oil.

"Well, there is danger coming this way, but not from me," she ignored Anoel's first few conclusions drawn before answering the main concern she raised at the end. "Actually, the reason I'm here in particular… is to keep the people of this town safe from that danger, because I'm the only one who can, now that that one person is gone."

So… she knew about Niro.

The intensity in Kamiko's voice rapidly dissipated as she continued. "As for the reason I started travelling in the first place, though… my sole purpose for existing… was taken from me. So I traveled the world to find another one. That's about all there is to it, really."

Anoel let her eyes narrow for a few moments before she let her gaze soften, hearing the pauses in Kamiko's words. "Did you… ever find one to replace the one you lost?"

That was the only real way to move on. For Anoel, that way was through Ly.

"... I thought I did, but in the end, it wasn't anything meaningful." Her reply sounded… lifeless. Hopeless, even. "But in the grand scheme of things, I haven't been looking for very long."

"You're still young, but I admire you spending so much time trying to find something meaningful," Anoel replied softly. This talk was making it sound like Ano was the inexperienced one here, despite being 20 years older than the girl in front of her.

Managing her own kitchen… better than she could ever hope to, on top of that.

"I like you," Anoel said, as bluntly as she could. "You remind me of my daughter."

For a brief fraction of a second, Kamiko's stormy gray-eyed gaze darkened, as if the assertion troubled her in some way. But just as quickly as it came, it vanished and got replaced with a playful look. "I'm assuming you're not referring to one of the twins, there."

Anoel's passive look hid the fact that she noticed that change in demeanor, but didn't want to address it. "I'm not. I have a third daughter upstairs. The eldest, actually, but I think she's taking a nap. Couldn't have the twins waking her up earlier, now could I?"

As the younger girl moved back over to the cutting board and picked it up, she gave Anoel a truly chilling smile. "I actually heard what you whispered to the twins. But no worries, I'm not one to judge her for having a bad day or you for covering it up."

"Oh, you heard that?" Anoel wondered aloud, lightly tapping her cheek with a few idle fingers. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised… I should've been quieter. Maybe a text would've worked better."

Kamiko's smile returned to normal, if a little amused. "Go with texting if you really don't want me to hear it. At least then I won't know exactly what you had to say."

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 **Username: *Nudges Xera* Your turn to start.**

 **X: Not much to say for this chapter. Introduced some names, Anoel met Kamiko, Kamiko's taken over the kitchen, and now nobody has to eat any dry fish! I say that, but the twins still grabbed a plate…**

 **Username: Yeah normally I write this character of mine to be a terrible cook, but this time she's actually good at it… mostly due to the circumstances at play.**

 **X: Yeah… Ano's filled that role pretty nicely, if her own kids have anything to say about that. *glances to Astra's beaming smile* You don't even wanna know what Ly thinks. You will next chapter though.**

 **Username: Yeah that's kind of the main notable thing about this chapter is the cooking stuff… aside from the fact that if you haven't figured it out by now, Kamiko's sensory capabilities are retarded good.**

 **X: Anoel noticed, but didn't say anything, especially as she watched Kamiko open cabinets purposefully with knowledge of what exactly is in each one… without even opening those ones once before. Yeah… no questions there.**

 **Username: Yeah Kamiko was kinda just showing off… she'll be doing that for a while, I'd wager.**

 **X: Guaranteed. Anyway, look forward to meeting Ly next chapter. Ira's other mom. And the twins', for that matter too.**

 **Username: Yeah, that's gonna be fun. See you next time!**


	5. Moving On

Timeless Awakening

Moving On

«»

Another long day of selling jewelry and juggling twins had exhausted Lylac as she pushed her way inside the house.

She kicked off her shoes and shouldered her coat off, leaving it resting on a hangar before making her way into the living room.

There was a lingering smell wafting from the kitchen as she dumped her stuff on the table.

Something was wrong…

Anoel wasn't this good…

"Girls, is Arex here?" she asked her daughters, as opposed to greeting them like she usually would.

"Nope," Astra popped softly from the couch, playing on her scroll as Aaryn's head rested on her leg.

"She usually calls ahead, mom," the other twin replied, peering over her book for a moment.

Ly frowned, but leaned over to kiss them both on the forehead anyway. She smiled to them before making her way over to the kitchen with the empty plate they had on the coffee table.

Anoel was the first person she saw, sat on a stool by the island, lightly tapping her scroll on its surface as her gaze was distracted by someone Ly didn't recognise.

"I'm home," Ly said softly as she walked over to her wife and kissed her cheek, setting the plate down on the middle of the island. "I didn't know we had a guest."

Ano's gaze immediately fluttered over to the voice and smiled softly, stopping her tapping for a moment as she leaned into the kiss. "Welcome home. And we do. Her name's Kamiko, she'll be staying the night."

"Oh, she is?" Ly replied as her eyes fell to the girl manning the stove.

She was tall…

"Mhmm," Anoel returned, scooting over on the stool to make room for Lylac. "She wanted to cook for herself, seeing as she was imposing after the twins walked her here."

Ly didn't bother trying to fit herself on the stool, and decided that lifting Ano up, sitting down, then placing her on her lap was a far better option.

"Of course the twins had to do that," Ly replied with a light smile. "Girls! You're grounded!"

"Told you." "No we're not!"

"Are you challenging me?!" Ly answered back with a hidden grin.

"No." "Yes!"

"Good, because I'm kidding!"

The new girl standing in their kitchen spoke up as she opened the lid on the dutch oven pot for a moment to eye the contents. "Glad it was a joke, it was as much my fault for not being able to turn them down as it was theirs for being so insistent. They've got good hearts, I'll give them that."

"Don't worry about it, we raised them that way and it's always nice to have a visitor now and then," Ly replied calmly as she wrapped her arms around Anoel's waist.

Kamiko glanced over from the stove for a moment to take a look at the twins' second mom before flashing her a thankful smile. "They're also good fliers for kids their age. I had to distract them to beat them at tag."

" _That_ I didn't teach them. I hate heights," Lylac replied honestly. "Something they all _love_ to abuse."

"They've got stuck in enough trees to make me the designated twin retriever," Anoel commented idly, leaning back into her wife to find a more comfortable position in Ly's lap. "It comes with the wings, though. The urge to use them."

"I should hope so for their sake, I'd use them as dust cleaners otherwise," Ly replied playfully. "Then they'd actually be productive in their downtime."

"Well, they were productive enough to secure a quality meal on their way home, if that counts for anything," Kamiko pointed out, the light of amusement in her dark gray eyes like the sun shining through on a cloudy day.

"They've got silver-tongues and are brutally stubborn, but I suppose it does," Ly commented in return, pulling Ano closer to her, drawing an amused hum out of her wife.

Anoel cuddled further back into the closer hold, resting her hands on the arms encircling around her. "Careful honey, she might think we're super gay for each other."

"Really now? What would give her that impression?" Ly replied as she kissed the side of Ano's neck. "I thought we were just _really_ good friends that decided to have twins for the fun of it."

"You know, that does still sound like us," Ano replied, letting a smirk cross her lips. "But I wanted to marry you first before popping out a few children."

"Marriage and pregnancy for fun… Sure, let's go with that."

"Oh, you know I love you, Ly," Anoel pointed out cheekily, turning her head and leaning aside just far enough to peck her wife's cheek.

"More than flying?" Ly asked with half-lidded eyes, eagerly awaiting a response.

"I feel like I'm watching foreplay…" Kamiko's voice chimed in, echoing across the island, "and I'm not even looking that direction. Impressive."

Ano quirked her brow at the interruption, glancing back to Kamiko for a moment before her smirk turned devilish. " _Oh_ …? Honey, you haven't seen _anything_ yet."

"This is the foreplay leading up to the real foreplay," Ly added with a simper.

" _Moms!_ Get a _room!_ " Astra complained loudly, groaning from the couch.

"What was that?! You _want_ to do _chores?!_ " Ly called back in response.

"We're having _dinner_ soon!" Astra called back, sounding even more exasperated.

"You won't eat until the house is clean?! How _considerate_ of you!"

She enjoyed winding them up. It was comedy gold.

"To be fair," Aaryn's voice came in now too, much calmer than her sister's. "They do this even _while_ they eat."

"I'm building them a kitchen table for their room," Astra commented back. "That way, the bed's _that_ much closer."

She almost sounded annoyed.

"Sounds like Astra wants to do the dishes tonight," Ly spoke into Ano's ear cheekily.

"You already know she'll drag Aaryn into the chore to do it with her," Anoel replied, rolling her eyes at her wife's banter. "They always find a way to do something together no matter what, anyway."

"Because sharing your womb wasn't already enough," Ly responded as her hands fell to Anoel's stomach.

"All jokes aside, I'm glad you're happy together," Kamiko spoke wistfully, the light in her eyes dimming ever so slightly. "I remember being where you're at… it's a real blast."

Ly's pink eyes fell on the girl curiously. "That's kind of you to say, but it sounds like you long for it, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Well, you're not wrong. Not having it is the reason I'm travelling now," the younger girl responded with a shrug, seeming almost _too_ casual about what she'd just acknowledged.

"Something happened to the one you loved, didn't it?" Ly's eyes had adopted a slight blue tint as she spoke.

Kamiko nodded, but otherwise seemed unaffected by the correct conclusion Ly had drawn. "She died."

"Are you travelling to move on, or forget them?"

It was a loaded question, one Ly probably had no right to ask, but she felt sorry for the girl in front of her. Especially since she could have been in the exact same scenario.

"You can never forget someone that important. It just doesn't happen," Kamiko replied, still sounding emotionally unaffected by the direction this conversation had taken, likely putting up a front. "I tried to move on… thus far, I've failed quite miserably. But I'm not grieving anymore, so it is a step in the right direction."

"I'm sorry for your loss, and honestly wish you the best in life," Ly's voice was earnest as her eyes stayed firmly on Kamiko. "I know from experience that loss like that is hard to get over."

The girl who seemed to be almost nonchalantly talking about something of this magnitude finally let a hint of her emotions show, her voice growing bitter. "The obvious solution, of course, to move on from old love… is to find someone new. I can't even do that much. But it's not like it's a terrible amount of time has passed since then… so I may have just needed more of it."

"That doesn't mean it hurts any less, sweetheart…" Ly murmured softly. "Finding someone new is always a task easier said than done."

Lylac subconsciously tightened her hold over Anoel as she continued to gaze at Kamiko, something that brought Ano's hand to softly caress the back of Ly's.

"Dinner's almost ready," Anoel spoke quietly, leaning forward slightly to turn herself in Ly's lap. "You should check on Ira, see if she's hungry. She's… had a bad day."

Ly nodded in understanding, recognising the message in Ano's words as she moved to stand.

"I have yet to say hello to her. I won't be long."

* * *

Ira stared at the steam still slipping out of her open bathroom door.

Her black hair was damp, still warm from her shower as she lay curled up on her bed. It was night now.

But she could still feel a gentle breeze fluttering through the fragments of wood lingering in the air outside. Where she left her bag.

Anoel probably brought it in by now.

 _Why does this only happen to me…?_

The girl rolled over and pulled her bare legs in, wearing a fresh pair of the same clothes she wore earlier when she went out. They were some of her favorites, anyway.

A gentle knock came from the door, Ira loosening her grip slightly from around her legs as that person cracked it open.

"Ira, can I come in?" a soft, feminine voice asked as the door widened a little more.

Ly was home now too. Anoel probably told her everything… about what happened.

"Yeah…" Ira voiced out quietly, part of her wondering if it was really okay to just lay here like this forever.

The woman fully pushed her way inside as her pink and blue eyes fell on Ira's, gaze softening as they always did.

She padded her way toward the bed before taking a seat on the edge.

"How are you feeling?" Ly asked, trying carefully to ease into a conversation.

"Better than out there," Ira muttered, her green gaze slowly flicking to the window again before she let it go unfocused.

"What happened, baby? You can talk to me, you know that," Ly replied, reaching her hand out for Ira's and taking a light hold of it.

Ira flinched when her mom brushed the knuckles of her hand with her thumb, trying hard to bite back the urge to pull away in case she still didn't have her control back.

"I lost control. Like I always do," Ira said, finally rolling over to face the woman gazing affectionately down at her. She always hated the worried looks both Anoel and Lylac gave her.

They were always trying too hard… to care like this.

Ira's legs drew in again as she clutched the hand to her chest, resting her forehead against the forearm it brought with it to close her eyes.

"I couldn't stop it. Not until…" her small voice trailed off, the shakiness in her voice coming back. "N-Not until the whole c-clearing was…"

Lylac hushed the girl as she moved closer to her on the bed, arms wrapping around Ira and pulling her in, holding her protectively as delicate fingers combed through her hair.

"Ira, you're not the first person to have a power so great, that you're too scared to use it," her mom whispered into the girl's ear. "It's not fair, I know. And all you want is the ability to live a normal life without careless and casual destruction. And I hate to sound like just another broken record, but you will get there. I promise."

Anoel kept saying that too. "But what if I don't? What if I never get used to this? _Every time_ I _try_ … I lose control. And e-every time I lose control, something gets destroyed." Ira's arms wrapped around her mother's frame as she buried herself into another warm, caring body.

She didn't deserve this kind of love.

"What if it happened… a-and one of you got hurt?" Ira's voice fell into another murmur, shaking again as she clutched tightly at Ly's shirt.

Ly sighed as her grip on her daughter tightened. "Then we fix the damage and pick you back up. The same thing we've been doing since you were a baby."

The woman's voice was filled with the same surefire determination she always had whenever this happened.

"I'm your mother, Ira, it's my job to keep you on your feet."

"You're not my only mother, though," Ira muttered back, rubbing her face gently against Ly's shoulder. "If you do that, what does that leave Ano with?"

"Bad cooking and warm cuddles," Ly replied instantly with a flicker of amusement in her voice.

Ira's voice came out in a tiny hum, but she hid the small smile that formed against her mother's arm. "Who's downstairs? I heard a new voice come in with the twins."

"Her name's Kamiko, she's staying with us for the night," Ly replied. "And yes, the twins adopted her and dragged her here."

Ira grimaced for a moment before turning her eyes up to meet her mother's pink gaze. "They didn't make her play tag with them… did they?"

"I don't need to answer that question, baby," Ly spoke with a flutter of amusement in her voice.

"Is she alright?" Ira asked softly.

"You may be surprised to hear that she beat them, actually," Ly responded as her hand brushed Ira's raven locks behind her ear.

Ira's delicate brow shot up in surprise at that. "Both of them?"

"If you were to go downstairs, you'd see Astra still sulking about it, yeah." Ly tapped the tip of Ira's nose gently as she smiled down at her. "Aaryn is completely unfazed, as you can probably guess."

Ira would've usually giggled softly at that, but she hummed to herself instead and brought her gaze away from Ly again. "That does sound like them."

"Dinner's ready, if you want to come down and eat. The girls wanna see you, so I'd advise that you do before they try breaking through your window to do so," Ly replied carefully.

"I'll… eat later. I'm not ready to come down yet," Ira returned quietly, her head resting against Ly's body again as she closed her eyes. "Tell the girls I'm okay when you go back down."

"Alright sweetie, just don't stay up here too long," her mother said gently, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Cold food doesn't taste as good."

"I know…" Ira replied, catching herself leaning up into the kiss before feeling her head get rested down against the bed. "I'll be down to eat. Just not right now."

Lylac stood from her bed, keeping her soft gaze on Ira. "I'll stick your portion in the microwave when you do. I love you."

Ira smiled thankfully as she curled back up on the bed, lying in the warmth of where Ly sat. "Love you too..."

* * *

After slipping into her usual sleepwear, a pair of undies and a loose white shirt, Lylac finally crawled into bed next to Ano with a drawn out sigh.

"Anoel…"

The phoenix was already partially laying inside the covers, back against the headboard with her scroll in hand. She wore the same thing to bed as Ly, only her shirt was black. But Ly's weight shifting the bed and her tone drew her away from her device, eyes drawn away from her screen to Lylac slipping into the covers beside her.

"How'd the talk go?" Anoel asked quietly, resting her scroll down on the nightstand to cuddle up with Ly's side and rest her head against her shoulder.

Ly nestled up next to Ano and let her head rest on her shoulder as she closed her eyes, inhaling slowly. "About as well as you'd expect… she's been beating herself up about what happened and despite my best efforts, she hasn't seemed to stop."

A frown found its way to Anoel's tired lips as she sighed softly. "Figures… It's not her fault, but she thinks it is. And that's what's scaring her."

Ano grimaced for a moment before sliding herself down more into the covers and draping her arm over Ly's waist, closing her eyes softly as she got comfortable.

"She's been getting bullied. Some girl thinks it's okay to pick on her because she doesn't have any aura."

Ly's gaze fell on Ano as her face contorted into a frown of her own. "That's the last thing that girl needs... Do the twins know?"

"By now?" Anoel hummed for a moment as she thought about it, nuzzling her body further into her wife's warmth as she did. "They've probably figured it out by now. They're probably in her room, actually. Despite me telling them not to."

Anoel smiled lightly before growling a little.

"The little runts learned how to suppress their heat signatures. So I can't sense if they are or aren't."

Ly followed her up with a smile of her own. "They're in there, I don't need heat to feel them. Can't say I blame them though… They've been glued to Ira since they were crawling."

"Yeah… they have," Anoel lamented lightly, her smile growing a little. "That's something that's always been good for Ira. Having those two to care for."

"One of us is going to have to speak to the headmaster about Ira's bullying, before Astra runs her mouth to whoever is responsible…"

"That's the thing, I don't know if we should," Anoel said, the uncertainty in her voice starting to tighten her wrapped arms little by little. "Ira seems adamant about putting up with it. But, still, she's being bullied for being too afraid to use her aura."

Ly shuffled down into the covers, bringing herself face to face with Ano as she sighed. "I don't like the idea of _letting_ her get bullied, Ano… If she's not going to put up a fight against them, it'll only get worse."

Ano knew that… but the decision was still Ira's, right? Even her thoughts sounded unsure of herself. "It hurts knowing something like that's going on every day for her. But… there's little we can do if that's what she wants to deal with on her own. I even offered to pull her out of school and transfer her somewhere else."

"I know she doesn't want to be sent anywhere outside of Vale, away from home, but…" Ly paused in her sentence, biting her bottom lip as she looked up to the ceiling. "We still have the letter Ozpin wrote, and the offer he gave her. If things turn sour."

Anoel's sigh drew out of her lips as she opened her eyes, peering into a reflective pink gaze looking back at her. They were both concerned about all this. "If we have to, we can use that. Maybe starting her at Beacon would be for the better anyway."

"Ozpin knew _Niro…_ if he can't help Ira anymore than we can, then I doubt anyone could," Ly replied softly as she brushed a stray lock of hair from Ano's face. "I've always preferred him to Signal's headmaster anyway."

"That's fair. And there's always our white-haired backer too, but he's busy at around this time," Anoel muttered.

"He's always busy. And he hasn't been at it for anywhere near as long as Ozpin has either, so right now, Beacon's the best option."

Ano sighed at that. "Ozpin just has a better way of doing things. He's already understanding, and he'd probably know what to do in regards to Ira as a student. Especially around the rest of his students. His school is team based, though. What are we going to do if someone like her Signal bully ends up on the same team as her? Or as her partner?" Ano asked worriedly, raising her touch to gently glide her fingers up Ly's arm and keep her delicate digits close to her cheek.

"You know Gina's nearing that age to start Beacon… Ozpin's been clawing to get at her since she turned 12," Ly replied with a warm smile. "And we both know from experience how protective she gets over our girls. I honestly think it'd be good for Ira to spend time with her."

That's right, Gina was about the age to start Beacon too. "What are the chances we can rig them to be on the same team?" Anoel asked lightly, feeling a small sense of relief start to chip away at her building concern.

Ly's smile grew into a grin. "You really think we have to? You should know better than that."

"Oh come on, Ozpin likes to play his games," Anoel replied softly, a small smile forming on her lips. "He'll probably leave it up to chance or something. But maybe we can convince him to do something this year that can be swayed by the students themselves… Like picking their own partners if they're skilled enough."

"The underlying intentions of two concerned mothers are very unlikely to sway his methods, but you're right about him and his games…" Lylac replied softly, with a hint of amusement in her tone. "Launching fresh meat into the air would be hilarious to see though, as would putting two very underestimated girls on the same team. I'll leave that to you though."

Anoel sighed again as she pulled herself closer to Ly, playfully letting her eyes go half-lidded as she brushed the tip of Ly's nose with her own. "Always leaving the big social stuff to me. I'm not saying I _can't_ do it, but I think we can sell our point better if we both go. Don't you think?"

"Always finding ways to get me out of the house and work…" Ly muttered playfully. "I'll go if you're too nervous then."

"You know I get nervous without you holding my hand," Ano teased, smirking in response to Ly's tone.

"The same hand you nearly broke when giving birth to the twins? Sounds about right," Ly replied, snaking her hand around Ano's back to lightly pull the phoenix's wings out of their hiding place.

Ano's eyes only narrowed in playfulness though, her wing instinctively following the delicate touch Ly used to pull it out of her shirt as she growled softly. " _You_ try giving birth to two twins with _wings_."

"Oh you want _more_ kids?"

"I think we have enough as it is," Anoel replied, rolling her eyes at Ly's comeback. "Five is too much. But I won't lie… I really liked you catering to my every weird craving for a while. That was fun."

"Funny how you get a lot more picky when eating for three," Ly remarked to her wife. "The jump from one baby to three was rough though."

A soft groan made its way out of Ano's lips as she thought back to that. "It _sounded_ like a good idea at the time. How were we supposed to know the twins weren't going to be as easy as cute little adorable Ira when she was a baby?"

"Because we became too complacent with Ira, having dependant children was a nightmare. Not that I regret it though," Ly replied softly as she smiled.

Ano smiled in return to that, lightly nudging Ly onto her back to move herself over top of her wife and look down at her, her own ebony hair framing Ly's face. "Even though it was painful and a _very long_ few months of endless, sleepless suffering…"

She wanted to layer it on thick as she leaned down and softly kissed her wife's lips, smiling into the small moment of contact.

"I regret none of it."

"Good. Two more children it is then. I'm taking the rest of the week off, so feel free to let me know when you want to make them."

Ly spoke with a smug smile as her hands naturally glided through the feathers presented to her. Working with deft familiarity as they found the sensitive spots she was used to taking advantage of.

Anoel's hum came out a little shocked before losing the strength in her arms to keep herself leaning up like that, her body resting down on top of Ly's as those hands started sapping her strength to stay awake.

" _If_ we have more… _I'm_ impregnating _you_ this time…" Anoel muttered pointedly, her voice growing breathless as she cuddled down into her wife.

"Nine months of bad cooking? Oh the humanity…" Ly replied with faux despair, resting the back of her hand against her forehead.

" _Oh_ be quiet," Anoel replied with an amused laugh, chastely pecking the warm skin of Ly's shoulder. "I'll take good care of you. I love you too much not to."

"I know…" Ly whispered gently, squeezing her arms around her wife to take advantage of her warmth. "And for the record, I don't want more children. Three hormonal, emotionally-charged teenage girls are enough for me, thanks."

Anoel chuckled affectionately into the hold before slipping her own arms around the small of Ly's back, letting herself get pulled close. "Neither do I. They're more than enough. And can you believe they like Kamiko's cooking way better than mine?"

"Yes," Ly replied dryly. "You're getting better, but I wouldn't feed dry fish to a starving cat."

"Ouch…" Anoel grimaced, reeling a little from the bluntness of that comment. "Are you sure you love me?"

"I love you more than I love the shiniest of gems, Anoel. But so help me gods, I am going to force you to cook until you perfect it one of these days." Ly planted a kiss on Anoel's forehead to reinforce her point. "It's better for everyone that way."

Ano's smile turned stupidly wide at that, nuzzling herself into Ly's neck after the kiss to hide it away. "I'll get better… I'm _trying_ to, anyway."

Anoel let herself relax again as she melted back into Ly's warmth, wondering if she should say one more thing before they ended the night off.

"By the way," she decided to say it anyway, "Kamiko has really good hearing."

"I have nothing to hide, so I'm not worried."

"Good," Anoel muttered, voice getting quieter. "I'm not either."

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 _Character Ownerships (as they appear):_

 _Hydra: Lylac_

* * *

 **X: Next chapter marks the end of day one. And if you're wondering, no, we're not planning this around the cycles of days. This current night is just going to be stretched into next chapter as well to cover Ira, the twins, and Kamiko.**

 **Username: Yeah, to be brutally honest, even I was surprised that we made a few hours last like four plus chapters… I'm not used to writing character driven stories lol.**

 **X: Well, for now, the focus is the characters. And since these are OCs, anything they show now is just building them up. As for when Kamiko and Ira meet and when you all get to finally see two alternate perspectives, that happens in the chapter after the next one. So, look forward to Ira and Kamiko meeting for the first time in chapter 7.**

 **Username: Yeah, honestly I'm still working on the Kamiko side of a lot of future chapters, but I've noticed that it can be pretty fun to rewrite scenes from her perspective… considering the differences in her character which pop up when certain other characters are around.**

 **X: *glances to Ira***

 **Username: More or less. She's not the only one, but she is the** _ **main**_ **one… Anyway, not much else to say. See you next time!**


	6. Lucky

Timeless Awakening

Lucky

«»

"We shouldn't let Kamiko sleep on the couch," Aaryn spoke out softly, her slim hands playing gently with the white suds and bubbles coating the surface of the warm water in front of her.

Her wings were wrapped around her torso, cupped thinly over her chest as she sat between her sister's legs. The two of them sharing a bath in the upstairs bathroom.

Astra's fingers ran through her hair, shampoo running through her blonde strands as she relaxed calmly into the touch. She didn't have a book to read with her, so she was letting her eyes wander the bubbles in front of her.

Where her slender legs poked out of the water just slightly in their bent state, her sister's lying out on either side of her.

"What do you propose? I know you've been thinking on it," Astra replied distractedly, scrubbing her twin's golden hair with shampoo.

It possessed a passive, light green apple scent, as to not overwhelm their sensitive noses.

A pensive hum rumbled in Aaryn's throat as she lifted a few bubbles into her hands. "We can give her our bed."

"Uh huh…" Astra replied slowly, adopting a light frown. "But where do _we_ sleep Aaryn?"

"We can just sleep with Ira," Aaryn replied, her light voice keeping an even tone. "I don't want her sleeping alone after what happened to the forest."

Astra hummed in thought, for a moment, still massaging her fingers into Aaryn's hair. "As much as I want to do that too, what if she's already asleep? And how do you think we get in there? There's no way we can sneak past moms' bedroom unless they're passed out _drunk_ , and Ira's window is more than likely locked by now."

The girl leaned over her sister to grab the running showerhead to begin washing the shampoo out of Aaryn's hair.

"We'd either have to be really lucky that Ira's awake to let us in through the window, or really lucky that both Ano and Ly are in deep sleep before we try going in through Ira's door."

"Ira's awake. There's no way she's asleep already after that," Aaryn offered back, closing her eyes as that warm water threaded through her hair. "And we can just fly up to her window and get her attention."

Astra rolled her eyes as she rinsed the rest of Aaryn's hair. " _You're_ knocking."

"That's fine," Aaryn replied, starting to lean back a little as the current of water traveled up to the top of her head. "You were always bad at being subtle."

" _Hey!_ I can be subtle when I want to be!" Astra exclaimed incredulously, flicking the showerhead to Aaryn's face to give her a healthy dose of revenge. "I _like_ being loud. It's more fun, you should try it."

Her voice bolstered pride as she continued washing away the last of the shampoo before letting the showerhead rest on the side of the bath again, Aaryn's shoulders still tense from her risen voice and splash to her face.

Astra silently smirked at the little glare Aaryn gave her as she grabbed the conditioner while she was still stretched over.

"If Ira _was_ asleep by now, you definitely just woke her up," Aaryn muttered with a glower, but she was admittedly a little embarrassed from the sudden outburst.

They were naked. People didn't have to hear them as they bathed.

"You're welcome," Astra replied curtly, smirking to herself. "Told you being loud was fun… _and_ useful."

Aaryn's glare eventually subsided into a small pout, pointing at her ear for a moment in an expression of mock hurt. "And hurts. Your voice echoes in here… and you're so close it was basically right next to my ear."

"You live in silence anyway, what you call loud is _nothing_ ," Astra returned, squirting the conditioner in her hand before beginning to rub it into her twin's hair. "Like a little whisper, or a… something. I can't really think of a good comparison…"

Aaryn crossed her arms in the water as her pout persisted, but she reveled in her sister's inability to find the proper words to describe what she was thinking.

She still felt a little annoyed at the outburst.

"I have sensitive ears. And silence is nice for me. It helps me think and read," Aaryn replied.

"Yeah, because you _live_ in books… noise reminds you of the _real_ world, with _real_ people," Astra giggled a little to herself. "Y'know… I'm willing to bet my favorite pair of socks that if you could, you would live in a library and eat all the pages of a dictionary."

"No," Aaryn wasn't afraid to deny early, pursing her lips for a moment as she glanced back to her sister. "I'd rather live in my books where I can be reminded that you're there with me. And don't be stupid, eating pages is bad for you."

Astra smiled a little. "You considered it though, didn't you? Living in a library and eating books. Even just a little bit."

Aaryn's sigh fell in a drawn out breath before smiling slightly. "Maybe. It'd feel awfully lonely, though."

"I'm not giving you my socks by the way," Astra quickly commented, "we didn't shake on it."

Aaryn's smile grew as she turned away, intent on hiding that. "I don't want your colorful, fluffy socks. I have my own matching pair, remember?"

"I know… but imagine putting _both_ pairs on… It'd be like… super comfortable," Astra replied as she worked her hands around the hair near Aaryn's ears.

"Mmmm… too warm and overlayered at that point," Aaryn responded, closing her eyes as she leaned a little into the touch again. "Too much constriction, too."

Astra hummed thoughtfully as she focused on massaging the conditioner in more. "Didn't mom tell you to try more things? I'm pretty sure that doesn't just apply to books."

"Trial and error. Yeah, I know," Aaryn sighed, swaying a little at the massage. "If you want me to try it, you have to put them on me. And you have to be willing to let me wear your favorite socks."

"An interesting offer… _maybe…_ " Astra countered playfully. "But if you put a hole through them, I'm hiding each of your favorite books in the forest and you get to find them."

A sharp gasp left Aaryn's lips as her eyes shot open, pointing a narrowed stare over her shoulder. "I won't put a hole through them. So don't hide my books."

Astra giggled at her twin's shocked expression. "I'm _not_ hiding them, _relax_. I don't want you to cry if they get damaged. You have _more_ than sensitive ears."

The charismatic girl threw her arms around Aaryn and happily hugged her, just to prove she wouldn't.

Aaryn's glare persisted into the hug for a few seconds, but her resistance eventually melted down in Astra's uncaring hold. The girl quietly dipped her chin and leaned back into the embrace, eyeing the water again and the arms circled around her.

"They'd get damaged, yeah. But I have a lot of books, so you'd be out there for a long while…" Alone, too. Without Aaryn to help her get out of trouble if something showed up.

"I know, I don't have time for that anyway, you'd catch me." Astra stopped hugging Aaryn as she reached for the showerhead. "Eyes, conditioner stings more."

Aaryn's eyes quickly closed as she tensed a little, fleetingly wondering if Astra would hug her again after this. "I never like it when you disappear and I can't find you, so I'd get pretty suspicious early on."

"Are you sure it's not because you _miss me_ when I'm not nearby?" Astra asked playfully, poking her sister in the rib as she washed away the conditioner.

"N-" The girl reeled away from the touch for a moment with a little startle, ashamedly ticklish there. "I-I _might_ miss you when you're not nearby…"

An amused hum escaped Astra as she moved Aaryn's head to the side slightly as she rinsed her down. "Nah, you miss me. I _know_ you do. I'm your favorite seat!"

The girl whined a little at being called out, but she let her head be tilted about to get all the conditioner washed away. "You're warm. And you don't complain if I forget to move after a few hours."

"I don't like being nudged by our moms when they can't sit still and I'm trying to play on my scroll," Astra replied quickly, a little hint of disdain in her soft tone. "You can stay in one spot for hours and just melt to fit others in."

"See? Mutual benefit," Aaryn reasoned lightly, her voice growing more faint the more she relaxed into the flowing water. "Besides, you're always the perfect fit for me."

"Well… we did share living space for 9 months, I should hope so," Astra spoke with a light flutter in her voice.

"Fair…" Aaryn spoke under her breath. "Not like we ever stopped."

"I don't think we ever will, except if you find someone. Then I'll be there, _watching_ , and _listening_ , and _waiting_ until they hurt you," Astra's voice grew a little darker. "And if they do, they'll disappear, never to be seen again."

The words brought a grimace to Aaryn's face as she bit her cheek a little. "I don't want to find someone. I have you, don't I?"

"Exactly! You'll never have to leave!" Aaryn's twin very quickly returned to her nonchalant mood. A very unnerving change.

But Aaryn was used to that, so she just rolled her eyes beneath her closed lids and leaned forward a little.

Her hair rinsed out by now.

"Okay, you're done. My turn."

"Yeah, yeah. Turning around now," Aaryn said, scooting forward and turning to make room.

* * *

Ira finally crept downstairs into the dark kitchen and ate her dinner, the chicken curry needing a minute or two in the microwave to bring it back up to temperature.

But she had her serving before midnight and washed her bowl in the dark, quietly putting her dishes away before silently making her way back upstairs. She took another few minutes to brush her teeth again, not really knowing if she was going to eat or not just earlier.

She figured she needed the food, though. After the energy burst.

The lamp on her nightstand was the only thing keeping the dim room lit, her slim figure reflected in the window as she glanced over and saw the night sky outside. She hardly felt tired… but staying awake any longer meant she'd be too tired to pay much attention at school tomorrow.

Something she had to wake up early for. Earlier than last time, too, with the new assignment they were assigned on Aura Control.

 _I have to get at least a little sleep tonight… or try to._

She brushed a swift hand through her raven hair for a moment as she made her way to her lamp, dropping her black scroll next to it on the nightstand before sighing.

She probably wasn't going to get much sleep anyway, even if she tried.

But a soft knock tapped against the glass of her window, the girl's lime green eyes casting up again to catch two blonde figures hovering just outside her bedroom.

Two sets of dark blue eyes stared back at her before Astra pointed to the lock on the window, Ira sighing softly to herself again as she moved to the sill and popped the lock, then opened it.

"You two should already be asleep," Ira said, pushing the window open fully to let the twins in.

Astra landed on the sill and gently hopped onto the carpeted floor before her twin mirrored her.

"Look who's talking," the charismatic girl countered quietly, raising a brow as she looked up to her older sister.

"I was _going_ to, but you two popped up before I could turn off my light," Ira replied, keeping her own volume low before glancing to the two girls in front of her.

"Excuses, excuses…" Astra muttered as she hook her head.

Their pajamas were almost matching this time, just alternated in color. Astra's nightshirt white this time while Aaryn's was black, and their pajama pants were the opposites of their respective upper colors.

Ira smiled a little before stepping between them, shutting the window behind the two. "I like the colors."

"Mine was supposed to be all black, but Astra took my pants," Aaryn commented dryly, looking up at Ira for a moment before glancing to her twin.

"I thought it'd be fun to mix things up a little," Astra added nonchalantly.

"By taking my pants," Aaryn tacked on.

Ira's smile grew a little before she placed her hands on their platinum blonde hair, the strands feeling almost feathery soft beneath her touch. They probably took a bath some time tonight.

That was a good thing, too. Knowing they played an intense game of tag earlier.

"I think it's cute," Ira commented, rubbing their heads before moving back into her own room. She softly sat herself on her bed and pulled her legs up, looking at her sisters curiously for a moment. "Did Kamiko take your bed?"

"We gave it to her," Astra replied. She padded over to Ira's bed and climbed onto it, crawling over to sit down next to her older sister before looking at her twin expectantly.

Aaryn combed a few fingers through her hair before quietly following, situating herself on the opposite side her twin took of Ira before softly wrapping her arms around her. "We figured you needed company."

Astra made herself comfortable too as she curled into Ira's side. "Mom said you had a bad day…"

Ira's gaze grew soft as she glanced out the darkened window, her slender arms lifting to make room for the twins before letting them cuddle into her.

She didn't realize how much she wanted that, until they showed up and did it.

"You saw it… didn't you…?" Ira asked under her breath, looking down as the two sets of arms wrapped around her tightened. Two heads giving tiny nods.

The girl frowned for a moment before letting herself relax, closing her eyes as she let her body accommodate the gentle warmth pressing into her from both sides.

"Are you sure you want to be staying with me tonight?" she asked quietly, opening her eyes again, but only halfway.

"Don't ask stupid questions, Ira…" Astra murmured into the girl's side, burying her face into Ira's body a little more.

"We're not letting you sleep alone tonight," Aaryn added, finding the need to do the same thing Astra was doing as she curled further into Ira. "You won't get any sleep if you try."

Ira took a slow, shallow breath before letting it out quietly into her room, eyeing the twins in the reflection of her window. With everything she can do… and everything she can accidentally do…

How do two young girls always make her feel so warm… on cold nights like this?

They were always stronger than her.

"Thank you…" Ira whispered, finally resting her arms down on their backs, her palms sliding gently over their wrapped wings. Their bodies weren't that much smaller than her own, almost the same size, actually, just a tad shorter and thinner than her.

But that was only due to age alone. Still… she was their older sister.

She was supposed to be the one comforting them.

A small pressure settled onto the bed before Ira felt the two tip her back, her eyes going wide for a moment as the twins pushed her down onto the bed and lied next to her.

"Get under the covers, Ira…" Aaryn ordered quietly, Ira's eyes glancing down to her sister's head pressing against her arm now before seeing it pull back slightly. "We'll help you sleep."

To reinforce her twin's point, Astra slipped a wing out from her nightshirt to dexterously pull the blanket over them, before wrapping the soft appendage over and around Ira's torso.

She was surprisingly quiet for someone known for being flamboyant, but she was always burnt out this time of night anyway, so it was nothing new to Ira.

It just… kind of startled her into silence that the talkative one stayed quiet, only pressing into her side more as she slipped herself under the covers with her.

Ira eventually listened, sliding herself down a little to rest her head back on her pillow. The cradling warmth of the bed melded against her skin for a few short seconds before Aaryn tucked into her opposite side.

A second wing interlaced with the one already comfortably wrapped around her body, Aaryn's feathers interlocking with Astra's to add to the cradle of warmth as Ira found herself cuddled again.

"You two really don't mind getting woken up early?" Ira asked one final time, knowing she got up earlier than the two of them. But her voice fell quiet as two sets of arms slipped back around her and tightened their hold.

"Ira…" "Stop talking."

The girl held her breath before sighing one last time that night, arching her back to make herself comfortable before nestling into the warmth the twins wrapped her in.

Maybe she _would_ get a little sleep tonight… if they helped her try to get it.

The lamp eventually turned off with a muffled snap, Aaryn's other wing making its way back onto the bed as Ira closed her eyes.

It wasn't fair… that she was allowed to be this lucky.

* * *

The moonlit breeze caressing my arms past where the sleeves of my white V-neck ended felt nice. It reminded me that, house or not, I was still staying in the middle of the forest.

I'd gone up to the rooftop after the twins gave me their room to sleep in, since I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until the talking amongst the other people in the house stopped anyway.

It was a force of habit I'd gotten from constantly sleeping in places where a Grimm attack might happen at any moment – even the slightest bit of sound would wake me up, or in this case, keep me from falling asleep in the first place.

With my senses as sharp as they were, even from the roof, I heard every word of every conversation which took place in the house below.

The last of it had just stopped, so I knew it wouldn't be long before all grew still and I'd be able to head to bed myself. But before that, I figured it'd be a good idea to take stock of what I'd learned.

 _So the one person I was supposed to be avoiding, as per my promise… is their sister._ "Is this fate's way of telling me to stop running away? That I'll never escape it, no matter how hard I try?"

And not only that, but… people were bullying her because she didn't have her aura active… the poor fools. If she used her aura on them, they'd end up dead in a heartbeat… though I doubted seriously that they'd believe me if I just told them that…

I smiled, hopping off the rooftop before using the edge of it to swing into the open window of the bedroom the twins left me before silently rolling into a kneeling position.

"Tomorrow… I guess I'll just have to show them what someone with no aura active can really do. I won't even need a weapon against people who are still in _school_ to learn how to fight…"

It looked like everyone was already near about asleep. They were all too still for me to hear their movements. So it was about time for me to get to bed as well… I'd end up waking up when the first of them roused anyway, so it's not like I needed to set an alarm.

As I lay down on top of the covers, resting my head in my hands clasped together over the pillow… in spite of everything, I couldn't help but find myself looking forward to the rest of the time I would be spending in the area.

But even so, I knew better than anyone that this momentary happiness would only last so long before it came to a bitter end.

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 **X: Well… we** _ **did**_ **want to drag Hydra in here. But...**

 **Username: He said he didn't have much to say, but I think he's just screen shy… XP**

 **Ano: No threesome, unfortunately.**

 **X: *fishes Ano out of the room* Moving on. Next chapter, Ira and Kamiko meet! So, the differing perspectives start there.**

 **Username: Yeah, I may or may not have a lot of scene rewriting to do in her perspective…**

 **X: We'll be trading that responsibility back and forth the more we collaborate and write for those two characters directly.**

 **Username: More or less. Xera's got their fair share of them by this point too in our reserve built up so far…**

 **X: There's a lot to look forward to, but we won't spoil that. For now, you can plan to see a guest walking Ira to school in the morning. I wonder if anything will happen.**

 **Username: Anyway, not much else to say. See you next time!**

 **X: Woo! Another long AN with little said. A style I can get used to, because nobody's complained yet.**

 **Username: At this point it's a meme. Anyway, see you later!**

 **X: *waves and drops Ano into a pool of water***

 **Ano: *soaked* Xera made me we-**

 **X: *ends note***


	7. Omelettes

Timeless Awakening

Omelettes

«»

Lylac was sifting through the refrigerator, seeing what they had in stock.

"I want eggs," Anoel tiredly declared, resting her arms on the kitchen island as she laid her head over them. "Make me eggs."

She was purposefully making herself sound needy.

Her wife turned to look at her, equally as tired as she was, with a half-glare. "You should lay some then."

"I _did_ ," Anoel complained. "They look exactly the same. And I can't legally eat them."

With a roll of her eyes, a sigh escaped from Ly as she turned back to peering inside the fridge.

"Omelettes?" she asked casually.

Ano hummed quietly in response to that, rolling onto her cheek to gaze at Ly glancing expectantly back at her. "Omelettes sound good. Ira should be waking up for school soon, too. She'll like that."

Ly nodded, pulling out the carton of eggs and a few extra ingredients. "Omelettes it is."

"So we're doing omelettes?" a groggy voice called out from the direction of the bedrooms. "I'm not much of an egg person, but beggars can't be choosers."

Before long, their guest emerged from the hall from the stairs, a playful smile on her face.

Anoel's eyes traced casually over to Kamiko walking into the kitchen, the girl rubbing her eyes for a moment as Anoel eyed her. "Don't complain about my wife's eggs."

The girl ran a hand through her long, golden blonde bangs before tossing them back over her shoulder. "Well, anything can be good if cooked well enough, and this does appear to be her kitchen… I'm game for trying them out."

"Our kitchen, but she likes to use it," Anoel corrected lightly.

Ly was already at the stove, pouring a little oil into a frying pan before she turned back around. "I haven't heard any complaints so far, so there's at least a little credibility check for you. And _no_ , it's _my_ kitchen, but I like to share."

"If that's the case, maybe you wouldn't mind me helping you make breakfast then," Anoel chided back, letting a soft hum follow her pressed lips as she looked at her wife's side.

Kamiko interjected almost immediately. "Might be better if I do the helping if this becomes a group project… no offense."

"Offense taken." Anoel's voice fell blunt before she gave a tired, but playful smile. Her chin soon falling delicately into her hands as she tapped her cheeks lightly with her fingers. "It's up to Ly to let you help. But it's up to _me_ who touches her eggs."

"Or you can both sit down and wait for breakfast," Ly commented from the stove, a little smile curling on her lips. "I took the week off to look after _three_ kids, not five."

"Nurse me then," Anoel returned, but she donned a bit more of a serious expression after her playful banter died off. "By the end of the week, though. We need to make a decision about what to do with Ira."

Ly sighed, cracking a few eggs into a bowl and whisking them together. "I know… but she has the right to try and stay at Signal."

"Well, if she wants to stay at Signal, the bullies are still going to be a problem…" Kamiko mused aloud, putting a hand to her chin as a pensive expression dawned on her face. "But I guess if I were to enter into the school myself, the bully problem would disappear pretty fast."

Ly stopped what she was doing to slowly turn to face the girl behind her curiously, that gaze switching to Ano not long after.

Her wife just gave her an innocent smile with half a shrug. "Told you she has good hearing. Probably heard us talking last night."

Kamiko nodded with a shrug of her own. "Yeah, I may or may not have heard every word of every conversation last night before falling asleep myself. But anyway, I don't think anyone who needs to go to _school_ to learn how to fight would be even remotely a problem for me to deal with… but I'd need a last name to enter under."

"I'm not sure how I can help with that, but she might," Ly replied, distractedly pointing at Ano as she continued cooking.

"Forged transcripts aren't difficult when you run an inter-kingdom information network," Anoel replied, drawing her gaze back to Kamiko as she looked her over. She did look Ira's age… "You said you weren't planning to stay long, though. This isn't exactly going to be a short term solution. Once you leave, things just might get worse for her."

"Which is a problem all parties would like to avoid," Ly added.

The teen shrugged again, a crooked half-smile forming on her lips. "Well, I'm sure you've noticed this by now, but your daughter Ira's aura signature basically acts as a Grimm magnet. That alone is reason enough for me to stick around longer than I originally planned to."

Anoel's eyes narrowed for a moment before she relaxed her shoulders, drawing that gaze she held with Kamiko back to her wife for a moment. "You can sense that?"

"I can sense and identify properties of pretty much every aura signature within my detection radius, so… yeah, more or less," she explained, looking Anoel dead in the eyes with a smirk.

That… was something Niro was able to do.

Her smirk widened ever so slightly. "In fact… when we first met, I noticed when you tried to activate your Semblance on me, too. Probably something related to information gathering."

"Ooh, _busted_ …" Lylac cooed from the stove with a little smirk on her face.

Despite Anoel looking a little taken off guard, she sent Ly a cautious glance before bringing her eyes back to level with Kamiko's. "You're just full of surprises then, aren't you? Not that I can tell, though. I couldn't read you for some reason."

"You got her all riled up now," Ly commented playfully. "She doesn't like secrets."

"I like secrets," Anoel said back. "I just don't like it when people keep them from me."

Ly rolled her eyes, grating some cheese into the second omelette before folding it. "Yep, and that's what's got your feathers all ruffled up. Good luck, Kamiko, she'll be watching you like a hawk now. _Literally._ "

"No I won't," Anoel muttered back, eyes carefully regarding Kamiko's smug stance. "I'll watch her like the _phoenix_ I am, thank you very much."

After a few moments, that smug smirk softened into an understanding grin. "No worries, most people who get to know me end up curious anyway… because there's never an end to the unknown factor when it comes to dealing with me."

"Sounds like advertising…" Ly replied casually, plating the second finished omelette before bringing it and the first over and leaving them on the island.

Anoel's light fingers slid one of the plates further toward herself before picking up one of two forks resting on its edge, its omelette big enough for two. "She's trying to tempt me."

The phoenix slid her plate just slightly over to the side now, Ly setting the pan off to the side for now to wait for a closer time to Ira's usual wake schedule.

"Salt and pepper?" Ly asked as she opened one of the cupboards.

Kamiko took a forkful of her omelette before taking a bite and chewing, eyes lighting up with interest. "Hmm… not bad, not bad at all. Although I can't help but wonder what adding some garlic would do to it…"

Ly smiled before throwing a garlic powder dispenser toward the girl, then plucking out the salt and pepper and returning to the island to sit next to Ano, the plate positioned between them.

"Garlic on eggs?" Anoel asked inquisitively, holding her fork and poking at the omelette she was sharing with her wife as Ly seasoned it.

"Yeah, I don't really understand it either, but to each their own," Ly added.

Kamiko sprinkled the garlic powder liberally onto the omelette before using her fork to spread it around. She then took another bite, chewing slowly as her eyes reflected a mild discomfort. "Well, it's not exactly the worst garlic experiment I've ever done… but I think I'll be using other seasonings in the future."

Anoel glanced at Kamiko's pensive face for a moment, wondering just how many _other_ garlic experiences the girl had before turning back and watching Ly lift a small forkful of their omelette in front of her.

The phoenix opened her mouth wide enough for her wife to feed her before doing the same in return. It was routine for them, by now.

"Well, seeing as you're staying," Anoel eventually said, swallowing her small bite as she lifted another forkful up in a casual manner. Her eyes glanced back over to Kamiko, meeting the girl with a curious stare. "I'm fine with letting you stay here for as long as you'd like, if you can help with our daughter's problem."

"That'll be your rent," Ly remarked casually as she leaned over and took the next piece on Ano's fork into her mouth.

For a few passing moments, Kamiko appeared to be seriously considering something troubling. But as quickly as that became apparent, the expression vanished, replaced by a radiant smile. "Well, I'm not gonna say no to a free bed to sleep in. I'm game. But I'll be helping her with more than just the bully thing… I could probably teach her a thing or two about controlling her aura, too."

"You're… willing to do that?" Anoel asked, quirking a delicate brow as her wife lightly poked the side of her cheek with her next bite. The phoenix turned her head slightly in response to it to let Ly slip it into her mouth.

"Yeah, sure," the teen replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She took another bite of her omelette and chewed it casually before continuing. "That power she has… it's not like I have no experience with it, after all. I know how it works well enough to teach her how to use it."

Ly turned to face the girl, curiosity evident through her shifting eye colour. "You seem to know a lot about Ira considering you have yet to meet her."

Anoel's own face lacked the curiosity her wife held, hers melting into one of suspicion instead. "You're talking like you've worked directly with it before."

"Because I have. More than once and more than just a few times," Kamiko answered matter of factly, not a hint of deception in her voice. "My experience with that power goes back a long way."

Ano's gaze met with her wife's again as they traded glances, a long few moments passing by without a word before Anoel finally muttered something.

"Kamiko, how old are you?"

She shrugged, face unreadable as she ate another bite of her omelette. "I'm fifteen… right now, anyway."

"Right now?" Ly asked in return as she quirked an eyebrow.

Kamiko's eyes glinted as she appeared to take note of something. "We can continue this conversation later if you want… but right now, it might be better to hold off. Ira just woke up."

* * *

The blanket on Ira's bed started to shift ever so slightly as the girl in the middle rolled over, wanting to curl up and bury herself back into her pillow between the two warm bodies loosely clinging to her.

But the trailing light coming in from her open curtain window slowly crept up the side of her cheek, Ira's brow furrowing as she woke up.

She opted out of setting an alarm last night. The reason being to keep the twins asleep when she woke up naturally on her own.

Or at least, that's what she was banking on.

Feeling the sun's rays on her face meant she'd slept in a little past her usual wakeup time. Which was weird… she never really could sleep in this much on an ordinary day. Not even if she tried.

Falling asleep last night just felt… easier.

After a few seconds of feeling like she could lie in the warm sun forever, the girl finally cracked her eyes open and looked to the sleeping form of her sister lying in front of her.

The twins were still asleep. That was good, at least. But she still needed to be careful with her movements.

Astra was the one she didn't need to worry about. The girl could sleep through a thunderstorm and be fine. Aaryn, on the other hand, was a light sleeper. Even the faintest noise could wake that girl up.

And movements were even worse.

So Ira crept her hands up to push lightly against the bed, arms sliding against the covers as she quietly leaned up and slipped her blanket off the curve of her shoulder. She wanted to check the time, see if she needed to hurry or not to get ready, but she couldn't bring herself to reach over her sister for her scroll.

So she carefully maneuvered herself in slow, tiny little shuffling of her slim frame to eventually get out of the blanket without disturbing the two sleeping beside her.

And it wasn't long after when her feet finally lowered silently to the ground, letting Ira slide off the edge of the bed as she turned to see if either of them stirred.

Only one of them did.

Ira held her breath as Aaryn's hand and disentangled wing fell on the spot of warmth where Ira slept a few moments ago, the space now vacated. And the thin brow on her face soon furrowed at the missing body beside her.

Before Ira could let her breath out in hopes of getting out of the room before Aaryn woke up, she watched the girl sleepily slide over and wrap her arms around her twin instead.

It wasn't long before Ira did release that breath, watching Aaryn fall back into a deeper slumber as Astra returned the little cute embrace.

 _Mission one for the day complete… I guess._

Ira quietly went about getting changed and ready for school, starting her morning with closing her curtains to give the twins more time to sleep.

When she was done, she grabbed her scroll and slipped out her door, the bag she found outside her door last night strapped over her shoulder as she quietly padded her way toward the stairs.

A few voices started filtering into her hearing as she lightly stepped down into the living room hallway downstairs. Morning light streamed in from the door and the windows scattered about the house as she peered into the kitchen, quietly coming to a stop just inside its door frame.

So… that girl was still here? She figured she'd be, actually. But… Ira wasn't expecting to see her awake this early.

"Hey," Ira spoke quietly, her usual morning phrase to her parents as her eyes fell on the blonde standing by the counter. She had weirdly radiant hair. "I... take it you're Kamiko?"

The taller girl seemed to take a deep breath, then slowly let it out, before turning to face Ira with an almost deer in the headlights-like expression. She visibly relaxed soon after… at least, externally. "H-Hey there. That's me, yeah."

Ira cocked her head slightly, her uniform-clad shoulder shrugging her bag off to rest on the ground by the hall as she gave Kamiko a pensive, but tired gaze.

 _Shy?_

It _really_ wasn't often that Ira met someone who happened to be shy to meet her, but she figured she'd brush that off for now as she turned her gaze to her moms sitting by the counter.

The smell of eggs still wafting in the air as Ly gave her a smile. Ano just sat staring at Kamiko for some reason.

"What'd you make?" Ira asked curiously out of reflex, padding her way into the room in her socks as she crossed the hardwood floor to the stove. There was a covered plate there, resting next to the pan Ly probably used to make breakfast.

When she glanced back, she saw the still to eat half-remains of her parents' omelette sitting between them, and Kamiko's own in a similar state.

Omelettes actually sounded good, right about now.

"Omelettes, want one?" Ly replied, giving the girl a warm smile. Something Ira's come to grow fond of every morning. "I'm taking the rest of the week off, so I'll be cooking tonight too."

Ira hummed lightly as she nodded to that, turning her gaze back down to the extra omelette set aside before gazing at it curiously. "This one mine?"

Ly nodded. "It is. I'll cook the girls their own whenever they crawl out of your bed."

Ira slowly nodded in return before removing the clear insulated covering situated over her food, a small smile coming to her face as heat sifted up from it. Along with the fresh smell of cooked eggs.

"Sounds nice," she replied simply, turning with her plate to rest it lightly on the end of the island, across from Kamiko. Her eyes fell on the girl again for a moment before glancing to her moms, Anoel just now looking her way too. "How did you know I was craving curry last night?"

Ira's eyes fell on Lylac as she asked that, resting her arms on the island in front of her by her plate. Ano couldn't have made it. It was actually _good_. So, she figured Ly had to be the one to cook it up.

Ly's smile widened a little as she regarded her daughter with pink eyes. "I didn't cook it."

Ira's gaze widened for a moment in a little startle, the girl slowly turning her head to regard Anoel in pure confusion. "It couldn't have been Ano. Did Arex stop by?"

Anoel just looked… insulted. But Ira watched her mom quickly accept it.

"Guess again, sweetie. I asked the same thing," Ly replied amusedly as she let her head rest in her hand, rubbing Ano's back reassuringly with the other.

The phoenix just lowered her distraught gaze at her wife's touch. "Oh don't patronize me."

She was… running out of options.

"I… don't remember the twins being that good at cooking," Ira concluded now. That had to be it, right?

Both Ano and Ly shook their heads.

That was all of them though. Ira's gaze fell into an even more confused stupor as she finally glanced to Kamiko, eyeing the girl skeptically across the expanse of the island with silent question in her eyes.

"You're our guest, though. How'd you end up cooking?" Ira slowly asked, leaning more heavily into her arms as she crossed her ankle over the back of her other heel.

Kamiko shrugged her shoulders, offering a sheepish smile. Stormy gray eyes staring back at her. "I originally just planned to cook my own share, since they weren't taking me into account when they made dinner before. But then the twins wanted to try it too, so I just ended up making enough for everyone."

"That was… really nice of you," Ira muttered, not knowing what else to say other than that. And a compliment, she guessed. "It was good. It happened to be what I was craving, too. So…" she trailed off, bringing her gaze back down to her omelette, "thanks for making it."

"No problem. I'm glad you liked it," the blonde girl replied with a smile as radiant as her hair.

It was… weirdly comforting, seeing it. But Ira's confusion eventually came back to her as she remembered how last night played out, the girl's gaze turning curious again as she looked to her moms.

"How come she stayed in the twins' room last night?" Ira asked slowly, eyeing the two of her parents confusedly. "We have a guest room."

Anoel just flashed her a small smile, drawing Ira's attention to her mom as the woman gestured to Kamiko with a tilt of the head. "The twins were the ones who worked out her sleeping arrangements. We figured we'd just let them."

"Oh…" Ira replied quietly, voice falling away as she lightly pressed her lips into a thin line. So, last night really was all about them wanting to spend the night with her.

They made it sound like it was only situational.

"Oh, you have a guest room, do you…?" Kamiko mused, putting a hand to her chin. "Interesting… well, no one can fault them for caring."

Ira finally picked back up her fork as she turned a slight gaze to the way her moms eyed Kamiko playfully, cutting a small bite from the omelette on her plate as she smiled.

"What? The couch was the first thing that came to mind," Anoel offered, Ira catching the woman's forming smirk as the girl popped her first bite into her mouth.

The omelette was still hot, but it was bearable.

The taller teen smiled, directing a playful gaze back at Anoel. "Well, I suppose no one can fault kids for being kids either. They were the ones to come up with the sleeping arrangements, after all…"

"Careful, or it'll be the shed next," Ly replied, equally as sly.

"And let her sleep with your precious gems?" Ano asked lightly, eyeing her wife. "I thought _I_ was the only one who gets to touch them."

"You really think _I_ would keep my gems inside a _shed_?" Ly countered evenly. "Married for 17 years and you still don't know me… I'm hurt."

Ira couldn't help but smile a little as she watched the gawk form on Ano's face, her mom gasping under her breath at the accusation.

"It's still your little home office out there. I even had it furnished and everything…" Anoel muttered, but a small smile started to quirk at her lips. "In all seriousness, though, we just wanted to see what the twins would do if we gave you the couch."

Ano's eyes turned back to Kamiko now as Ira took another bite of her breakfast, keeping an eye on the time to make sure she wasn't going to be late.

"They were probably going to sleep in my bed anyway," Ira interjected once her mouth was clear.

"They prefer your bed to everything else, it's really not that big of a surprise," Ly chirped with a grin. "In fact, the only other thing they would prefer to sleep on is you."

Ira rolled her eyes at that, seeing as the twins did _both_ last night. "Not like I can say no to them…"

"I know the feeling," Kamiko put her own two cents in before downing another forkful of her own omelette. "That is why I'm here, in a way."

"Guess they're really good at tugging us around then, huh…?" Ira offered back, giving the girl an apologetic, but sympathetic smile. "I don't really mind it."

It was one of the reasons why Ira loved them. They knew just how to get through her apprehension at the right times.

The blonde across the island gave another radiant smile back at Ira before nodding. "Well, it beats sleeping in tree branches, so it's not like I'm complaining."

Ira quirked a brow at that as she lowered another bite of her food, steam still softly slipping from the mostly eaten eggs. "You were going to sleep in a tree?"

"That was the original plan, yeah," Kamiko answered with a casual shrug. "Needless to say, I wasn't expecting the kids following me through the forest to be able to fly up to meet me as high as I'd jumped to."

"Of course they would…" Ira muttered quietly to herself, lowering her eyes again to her food.

"Oh, that reminds me," Anoel cut in, finishing off a bite of her own to glance between Ira and Kamiko. But those eyes found their way to firmly rest on Kamiko specifically. "This whole 'phoenix' thing isn't something to be talked about. I hope you understand."

Kamiko nodded, her expression becoming serious for a moment. "Well, not in public, at least. The world technically isn't supposed to know you exist, after all. Not exactly info that should spread, considering the history behind it…"

"Not just that, there's reason to believe there are people out there that seek to harm phoenix, and I'd rather not get into a gunfight any time soon," Lylac replied with an air of seriousness. "Keep the discussion to this house, please."

"Gotcha," came the taller teen's response almost immediately. "That was sort of the plan, anyway."

 _Always gotta be cautious…_ Ira figured. It was hard, but true, considering this wasn't the first home they've stayed in for this amount of time.

The girl quietly finished off her omelette before taking her plate to the sink, washing it off before resting everything in the dishwasher.

"Thanks for bringing my bag in last night, mom," Ira spoke lightly, turning to catch a smile from Anoel as she went to get her things by the door.

"Figured you'd need it. Heading out?" the woman asked, Ira's arm reaching down to grab her bag strap before bringing it over her shoulder.

"Have to. School starts in twenty minutes and the walk over takes fifteen," Ira replied, turning back to look at her two moms at the island, and Kamiko standing next to them.

She was always either early, or in by the time her first class started. She just… couldn't ever find the right time to avoid Sapphia.

It seemed like the girl knew Ira's schedule better than she did, so Ira was wondering why she was still bothering to try to be evasive.

"Don't think you're leaving without saying goodbye properly, Ira," Ly spoke out seriously, even though she wore a warm smile on her face.

" _Fine_. But I need to hurry or I'll be late," Ira said back, dropping her bag again as she made her way back over and leaned up onto the balls of her feet, placing a kiss on Ly's cheek.

Ly's arms wrapped around the girl in a warm embrace as she returned a kiss on Ira's forehead. "Have a good day, dinner will be ready when you get home. Love you."

"Love you to-" Ira's voice fell into an eep as Anoel swooped in from her side and snatched her off her feet, the girl giggling softly as her other mom pecked her cheek before bumping her nose with her own.

"And don't forget, Ly's gonna be here all week," Ano said, letting Ira squirm for a few moments before letting her down. But not until after she made the girl give her a kiss too. "So we'll be thinking of some fun things to get up to as a family. You can look forward to that."

Ira smiled at that thought, giving a nod in return to it before moving back to her bag. "I will. And love you both."

She quickly pulled her bag back onto her shoulder and grabbed her shoes in the hall, planting herself on the stairs to slip them on.

Ira stood back up just as Kamiko went up to the front door and grabbed her black denim jacket off the rack, making Ira wonder if she was heading out soon.

The blonde called out to the kitchen over her shoulder as she slipped her jacket on while donning her shoes. "I think I'll go to the school with her today. May as well scope the place out, considering what we discussed earlier."

That… threw Ira off a little bit. "Do you… go to Signal too?" She couldn't have. This was the first time she'd seen Kamiko at all, so she would've recognized her.

"Oh, that's right," Anoel's voice came from the kitchen, Ira glancing back to catch her mom leaning against the door frame. "Kamiko's looking to transfer into the school. We figured we'd help her out a little with getting in."

Ly sauntered over to stand next to her wife, letting her weight rest on Ano as she smiled. "We're gonna call ahead and let them know you're bringing a plus one, so don't worry about that."

 _Oh…_ "Okay. I… guess I can give her a tour then, after classes," Ira muttered, glancing to Kamiko for a moment before letting her gaze fall.

Great…

Kamiko was going to meet Sapphia.

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 **X: Don't look down. You do** _ **not**_ **see an omake down there.**

 **Username: You have been warned. What takes place below this author notes is not for the eyes of mortals.**

 **X: But I mean… what if they're immortal?**

 **Username: I wasn't aware my character was reading tonight…**

 **X: Considering your chapter was in Kamiko's perspective, I can imagine she'd hop over here to see what Ira was up to. Maybe catch a few of her thoughts about her.**

 **Username: Valid points, valid points.**

 **X: Anyway, if you wanna see their meeting from Kamiko's perspective (which divulges a** _ **LOT**_ **of what's running through her head upon seeing Ira), go check out Username's chapter 7 to this story.**

 **Also, thinking about just adding little excerpt omakes like the one below from now on. They have nothing to do with plot/canon.**

 **They're just for humor, if you find them entertaining anyway.**

 **Username: They were funny as fuck to me, but to each his own, y'know? Anyway, yeah, go check out my version if you haven't already. I'm shameless, I know.**

 **X: I already mentioned that, too… *glances up a few lines***

 **Username: Difference is, you were casual, I gave a direct command like some four star general commanding an army.**

 **X: Of kittens. My readers are all kittens. Unless they're not… then, I mean, they're non-kittens.**

 **Username: Oh shit, ordering a cat around is completely ineffective… maybe we should just cut to the omake now.**

 **X: Ha, jokes on you, they probably already did. xP**

 **Username: See you next time, guys!**

* * *

 **Omake:** _What Really Happened_

* * *

Kamiko shrugged again, a crooked half-smile forming on her lips. "Well, I'm sure you've noticed this by now, but your daughter Ira is basically an attractive magnet. That alone is reason enough for me to stick around longer than I originally planned to."

Anoel's eyes narrowed for a moment before she relaxed her shoulders, drawing that gaze she held with Kamiko back to her wife for a moment. "You can sense that?"

"I can sense and identify properties of pretty much every pair of panties and their possessors within my detection radius, so… yeah, more or less," she explained, looking Anoel dead in the eyes with a smirk.

That… was something Niro was able to do.

Her smirk widened ever so slightly. "In fact… when we first met, I noticed when you tried to cop a feel on me, too. Probably something related to information gathering."

"Ooh, _busted_ …" Lylac cooed from the stove with a little smirk on her face.

Despite Anoel looking a little taken off guard, she sent Ly a cautious glance before bringing her eyes back to level with Kamiko's. "You're just full of surprises then, aren't you? Not that I can tell, though. I couldn't feel you for some reason. Must've been a… lack of leverage."

"You got her all riled up now," Ly commented playfully. "She doesn't like fruit bigger than hers."

"I like big fruit," Anoel said back. "I just don't like it when people keep them out of reach."

Ly rolled her eyes, grating some cheese into the second omelette before folding it. "Yep, and that's what's got your feathers all ruffled up. Good luck, Kamiko, she'll be watching you like a hawk now. _Literally._ "

"No I won't," Anoel muttered back, eyes carefully regarding Kamiko's smug stance. "I'll watch her like the _phoenix_ I am, thank you very much."


	8. School

**AN: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!**

 **Username: I'll try to keep this brief. The reason this chapter has taken so long to get out is because I could not for the life of me motivate myself to rewrite scenes in Kamiko's perspective using the first draft as a base. I'm an urge-based writer, so I can't just do that stuff on command, and I couldn't motivate myself to do it at all.**

 **But since I didn't want the story to just up and die, I decided it'd be better to just discontinue my copy of the story and keep this one going. Because we're doing this, instead of all scenes with both Kamiko and Ira being in Ira's perspective on this account, the perspective will just go to whoever's perspective the scene is best served in. So now you will see scenes in both Kamiko's and Ira's perspective in this copy of the story.**

 **That's about it. Read on, and… pray for Sapphia's group. They really need it.**

 **Also, Kamiko's perspective is usually written in first person. You have been warned.**

* * *

Timeless Awakening

School

«»

Ira's mind was on a constant loop. Every step was another word, and she was practically begging on her knees in her own mind for Sapphia to just ignore her for today. Just _once_ … leave her alone.

Her mildly rushed steps were easily matched with Kamiko's calm strides, and the girl was _really_ hoping the frantic war going on in her mind wasn't being shown on her face.

Because Kamiko was the _exact reason_ why the war was raged in the first place.

She didn't want the girl to see her get bullied. Ira didn't want _anyone_ to see that. She was willing to put up with it, but she didn't want anyone else getting dragged into it too.

Even if this girl was possibly a foot taller than herself, or just shy of it.

Ira knew for a fact that she personally stood at 5'4 in her bare feet. So, looking up at Kamiko walking so easily beside her quickened steps, she couldn't help but notice the startling difference in their heights.

The girl had to be _at least_ six feet tall…

"I know I'm not the worst thing to look at in the world, but…" the girl began as she cast a glance back at Ira. "You're sending an awful lot of looks my way. You okay? You seem worried about something."

Ira tensed up, feeling her legs stiffen beneath her walking form as she clutched a little tighter at her bag.

She didn't mean to stare so much, and she couldn't help but feel a heavy pit falling in her stomach at being noticed like that.

"Sorry. And it's not that, you're just…" Ira kind of wanted to say it was the opposite. That the girl was easily stunning to look at, even at her age, but couldn't bring herself to even hint at it, "really tall."

Her voice trailed off at the end as she glanced back down, her shoulders squeezing into her body as she tucked her chin in. Kamiko really did tower over her, considering Ira's version of eyelevel veered straight into the girl's chest.

But she really didn't want to give away just how worried she was about taking Kamiko to school with her. She couldn't get into that right now.

"I'm just wondering how the school would take me bringing in a guest, is all," Ira lied, hoping her voice was as believable and even as it sounded.

Kamiko's gray eyes turned back to the sidewalk ahead of them as she hummed to herself. "Well… I will probably be transferring in soon, but I'm not too sure about Signal's policy regarding guests either. Been a while since I last visited the place. Worst case scenario, I have to wait until after school to check the facilities out, though. Not a huge deal."

Worst case scenario… That didn't actually sound all too bad. It avoided everyone inside, and waited for classes to finish. But Ira didn't want Kamiko to be forced to wait basically half a day doing nothing. "I think I'll be able to take you into my classes at least. I'd rather not have you waste that much time just waiting around for a tour."

One that probably wasn't even going to be that good, really. Ira knew the place well, but she wasn't expecting to be showing someone around it today.

"I doubt it'll come to that anyway. Though, for what it's worth," Kamiko surmised with a shrug, "I do know a few of the people who work there, so I doubt they'd be so cold-hearted as to make me sit outside all day."

 _Cold-hearted…_ Ira couldn't help but internally laugh a little at that. Some of the teachers knew about Ira's bullying problem, but didn't want to overstep their boundaries with Sapphia's parents and money.

She didn't blame them, they had low paying jobs with an intent to keep them.

Still, it really showed how many people were willing to give her the cold shoulder just for self-interest.

"You do?" Ira asked calmly in return, almost forgetting what Kamiko mentioned after the one set of words she pulled out of Kamiko's earlier response. But, it did raise curiosity though. "I… thought you were as young as I am. How come you know some of the faculty there?"

Kamiko smiled, gesturing to the horizon with her hand. "I'm a traveller, I've got connections with people all over the globe. Been that way for a while now, actually."

Ira smiled a little enviously at that, glancing at the horizon Kamiko pointed to for a moment before returning her gaze to the school in the distance.

They were taking the front way this time… because there wasn't any reason to take the back way.

"I guess I'm a bit of a traveller too," if she counted how many homes they've lived in, anyway. "But I also like to stay in one place for as long as I can. It's… nicer, that way. Homelier, too."

"I understand the sentiment," the blonde offered, nodding her head. But for a brief flash of a moment, Ira noticed her face darken. "Considering every place I've ever come to call a home… has been taken from me at some point. Eventually I just gave up on searching for one to have permanently."

"Yeah…" Ira spoke softly in return, wishing she could honestly say she couldn't relate to that. But it hit too far home to be able to lie believably in return to it. "I wish I didn't know the feeling…"

It wasn't long before the school's front doors came into view, Ira looking up just as they passed around the wall and through the open gate of the academy grounds.

"Ira!"

Aaaaaand, _that_ was the voice Ira was dreading.

The girl ground to a stop at the gates as Kamiko slowed to a halt too, Ira's body tensing up and grabbing at the strap of her bag as three sets of footfalls ran her way.

Led by Sapphia.

"Where've you been?! School's about to start and _none_ of us have the assignment done!" Sapphia's gaze fell into a pinpoint glare at Ira and her bag, the tresses of her platinum gold hair bouncing almost as angrily as she was running. " _Why_ are you even so _la-_ "

"I'm sorry, maybe I'm just tone deaf here," Kamiko cut her off, stepping in front of Ira to face Sapphia directly, making eye contact with her before continuing. "But I don't really see how any of that is her problem."

Those crystal blue eyes locking Ira up finally drew up to Kamiko as their owner and the two girls jogging behind her came to a stop.

 _This_ was the part Ira was dreading most.

"I-It's fine, Kamiko," Ira spoke up quietly from behind, fingers fidgeting with her shoulder strap still. "You don't have to get involved."

"Ignoring the fact you look like you've just walked off the street from a gang meet, I'll assume you're new here," Sapphia's voice came out now as well, and its haughty nature failed to even drop a single octave. "But you should know that little Ira _is_ our problem."

Kamiko shrugged, and Ira's nerves were grinding together through her tensing body as she _really_ hoped Sapphia wouldn't be set off.

"I dunno if you want to ignore that. What if I'm a wandering gang lord dropping in to say hello?" The chain threaded through Kamiko's belt loop rustled a little as she shifted her weight, further hiding Ira's frame behind herself. "Jokes aside… I guess that makes the three of you _my_ problem, then."

Ira couldn't see Sapphia's reaction, but she knew for a fact she was getting annoyed...

" _Somehow_ , I seriously doubt that. You look like you're just dressing the part, and _forgive_ me for also ignoring this other fact, but you don't seem to have any aura in you either. So why are you still in my way?"

"Maybe. But there's a very simple reason for why mine isn't out right now…" Kamiko replied, her voice suddenly ten shades more condescending. "I don't need it… not against the likes of you three degenerates."

Ira _winced_ at that. This… this was going to make things worse for her…

* * *

I couldn't stop smirking like the devil at the fact that my answer had stunned not just the queen bee, but her entire posse speechless for five whole seconds.

I recognized that to anyone who'd never seen me work before, such a statement would come across as shockingly arrogant, but I didn't really care. I just knew whatever reaction I eventually got would be priceless.

"You're… kidding me, right?" the platinum blonde girl, front and center, asked as soon as she got over herself.

My smirk deepened. "You can test it for yourself if you want. Haven't had a spar with another human in a while. I usually only tussle with Grimm."

"You think I'd actually fight you?" she asked, and I almost laughed. "I'm not going to re-prove the fact that auraless can't ever keep up with us. You're not worth the time, and I'm already late as it is."

"Do you not understand the situation yet?" I calmly replied, sighing before pointing behind me. "To get to her, you have to go through me. If you wanna pick on her, you don't have much of a choice here. But I assure you, even if you all took me on at once… the fight wouldn't even last a minute."

The redhead behind the center blonde suddenly stepped up, her shoulder appearing to - did I just see it slip through her friend's? This would be fun - before facing me and speaking in a condescending tone which made my earlier remark sound tame by comparison. "Don't bother, Sapphia. We'll put her in her place just fine on our own. Anya, summoning time."

The other girl, the only one that had yet to say anything, had teal tinted short hair obscuring her right eye. The girl stood there, staring rather apprehensively between her friend and myself. Feet shuffling slightly when called upon before tentatively taking a step forward.

The redhead then proceeded to walk right through me and remain there, almost as if she were trying to possess me. Wait a minute… I flexed my fingers on my left hand to find them meet a little more resistance than normal.

So her ability wasn't just to make herself completely intangible… she could freely adjust her tangibility and use the middle stages to bind people, couldn't she? Even better! "So you can adjust your tangibility, huh? Fun. Ira, step back for a second."

Ira stepped back without a word, and I could feel vibrations in the air which suggested that she'd shrunk into herself… for me to feel it so clearly, she must've been trembling. Poor girl… but she'd given me the distance I needed to make my next move.

I casually stepped right out of the redheaded step-child's semi-tangible body before staring her right in her russet eyes while she momentarily flailed about as if my action pulled her way off balance. While she was distracted by the fact that her bindings had no effect on me, I used the opportunity to raise my left hand and lightly flick her on the nose, just to show I could. And whaddya know? It connected without much trouble.

 _Pretty simple counter, all things considered._

"You're irrelevant, apparently," I told her with a shrug of my shoulders before walking right through her to face the other two.

Anya stepped forward, clearly next in line to get shown up as her hand lowered toward the ground and a glowing teal light emitted from her palm. I could feel the activation of her aura, but… well, it was nothing special.

A light matching the color of her illuminated hand appeared on the floor in the form of a hexagonal glyph before a wolf raised out of the stone pathway with a rumbling snarl. Oh, how adorable, she called on a pet to help her out!

The ghost-like wolf turned to its master awaiting an instruction and all she did was gesture my way with her head.

The familiar's gaze then fell back onto me, meeting my eyes with a stone-cold, predatorial glare before immediately lashing out with a leap.

Only to fall into my open arms as I started petting its back with one hand and scratching behind its ears with the other.

It didn't even get the chance to bite me before its rage had been fully quelled, and it was reduced to a pup in ecstacy in my arms, its tail wagging back and forth as clear proof.

"You poor thing, being forced to follow the orders of such a sorry specimen…" I cooed at it, the tamed beast barking in chipper affirmation. "How about you do _me_ a favor instead? Go for the redhead behind me."

I released it from my grasp before stepping aside just in time to watch it leap forth, attempting to sink its jaw into the redhead's arm, only to phase right through it like I expected. I watched this cycle rinse and repeat for a few seconds before shrugging with a smile and turning away. Just like this, both of the queen bee's lackeys were rendered completely useless.

"So what now, Sapph?" I called out to the only relevant opponent left, my devilish smirk from earlier returning. "Still think using your aura makes you three better than me? Because at this point, I think the results speak for themselves."

"Oh, please, you have to be using some kind of trick or something to mess with them," the girl tried to counter. "Tricks can only get you so far. Even something like that can't get you moving anywhere near fast enough without aura to keep up with me."

Once again, my smirk widened. So hers was a speed build, huh…? She had no idea what she was getting herself into. "Try me, _princess_. See what happens."

Rather than respond to me with words, she apparently decided to let her actions do the talking instead, immediately closing in for a right hook right to my face.

Unfortunately for her, such speed was so trivial to me that she may as well have been moving at a snail's pace. I effortlessly sidestepped her punch before using my own right hand to come up from under her arm and lock it into place, proceeding to immediately do the same thing to her left arm with mine before she even had a chance to react. I purposely kept it loose to avoid hurting her, but… with my strength, she certainly wouldn't be breaking free of this hold on her own.

"See, princess?" I whispered into her ear, watching out of the corner of my eye as both her lackeys gawked at us. "I told you I didn't need aura against the likes of you. Try and break free all you want - the only way you're getting out of this hold is by yielding and leaving both myself and Ira alone for the day."

She struggled against my grasp to no avail for a full ten seconds before giving up and slumping into it. "H-How-"

Her disbelief seemed to root her words into a grumble before I caught her glancing to Ira behind us, the girl's trembling finally quieting down in favor of just staring in disbelief and uncertainty.

"We're all late anyway," my captee muttered, bringing her eyes away from my _real_ princess.

I couldn't help but wink at Ira as she stared at me like that, the temptation to reassure her in all this too strong not to. And the reaction I got out of her was adorable, because the slightly parted mouth she left cutely hanging open quickly snapped shut and a trickle of a blush reddened her pale cheeks.

"Just let go of me already."

She said we were already late, but if that were the case, I'd have heard the bell that sounded off the beginning of class, even if it only happened inside the school… which meant that we at least had a few seconds before class started.

Easily enough time to get there without being late.

"Ira, what's your classroom number?" I asked as I let go of Sapphia and walked over to the questionee.

The eyes that were looking at me just moments ago were averted now, and she held her chin low enough to avoid glimpsing my face as I came to a stop just in front of her.

A tiny movement caught my attention as she turned her head slightly away, but I got the soft answer I was patiently waiting for.

"030."

Perfect, it was a number and location I recognized from when I met the current principal there… which meant that getting there would be a cinch.

Without warning, I grabbed Ira by the waist and lifted her off the ground, a startled squeak coming out of her as I held her close. "Hold on tight, okay? We'll be there in the blink of an eye."

The blush I noticed earlier quickly spread to the rest of her face and her neck, even reaching so far as her ears as I smiled at her.

And as soon as she moved her hands from her bag strap to loop tightly around my back, I immediately rushed into action. My surroundings became a blur as I rushed through the school's entrance in no time flat, weaving my way in between students hurrying to make it to class before the bell with minimal effort. In a matter of seconds, I set her down right in front of the class labeled 030 by the placard sticking out into the hall.

"There we go," I said, pointing up at the placard before walking up to the door. "Now we won't be late. Shame about Sapphia and her posse, though. They're SOL."

The girl stumbled once she was down. I was close enough to catch her in the event she actually fell, but she steadied herself and finally looked up to my eyes after avoiding them in the last few interactions.

She almost looked thankful and relieved, but I could tell there was still lingering worry in her.

Right. She still had no idea I was joining _her_ class. Just that I was joining the school.

"I-I'll… clear it with the teacher," Ira got out, and I watched her take the tiniest of steps back once she noticed how close she still was to me. "You'll probably be able to sit with me in my classes today."

If only she knew… that it wouldn't just be today. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

* * *

"Think he'll agree?" Anoel asked, eyes watching the numbers tick by as they stood in Beacon's tower elevator. Her hand swung softly back and forth, fingers interlaced with her wife's beside her.

"I'm not sure…" Ly replied, distractedly watching the floor number rise. "I'd like to think so, but Ozpin's always had his ground rules. And it is a bit early for her."

"But if we can prove she's ready, he doesn't have any reason to say no," Anoel replied, bringing her eyes back down to glance at Lylac's face at they neared the top. "He practically already _wants_ her to join as it is."

Ly hummed thoughtfully as her eyes strayed toward the doors. "Perhaps, but I can't help but think that he won't be entirely on board..."

"That's why we're here in person, isn't it?" Ano asked back, her hand taking a firmer grasp of Ly's own with reassuring fingers before following that gaze to the door. "To convince him?"

Ly's eyes turned to Ano's as a small, apprehensive smile crossed over her lips. "Yeah, that's the plan."

"Then let's pull it off," Anoel affirmed with a sure nod, the elevator coming to a slow halt in the next few moments.

In an almost dull silence, the golden doors dinged and drew open, Ano bringing her attention forward again as Ozpin's office came into view just through the opening.

He was at his desk, the same place he usually sat on workdays like this. So long as he wasn't getting into any mischief with his students, anyway.

"Ah, you said you'd be coming today," the silvered man spoke calmly. His gaze turned up to meet their own as he brushed aside a stack of papers with light fingers. "Come in. I'm not busy."

"Of course you're not," Anoel replied curtly, giving Ly another look before stepping into the dark-floored office, lightly tugging Ly with her. "You never are."

"I suppose," Ozpin returned, standing just as Anoel and Lylac reached his glass desk. "Though, I can be partial to prioritizing my time as well. Especially for guests like the two of you."

"Awe, come now, we've been friends for too long to just be 'guests'," Anoel said, a smirk crossing her face as she donned an insulted look. "Where's the usual coffee?"

"Brewing." Ozpin smiled back, regarding the two women with an air of familiarity. "It's nice of you to stop by, Anoel," he stated, bringing that look to Ly as well, "and Lylac."

"Good morning, Headmaster," Ly replied courteously, nodding her head with a light smile.

"I suppose it would be, if I wasn't spending long nights preparing for this coming semester," Ozpin replied.

For a moment, his young experienced eyes drew drowsy.

"First years predicted to be a handful this year, headmaster?" Anoel asked, her eyes drawing to Ly for a moment before nudging her wife toward one of the black chairs resting in front of Ozpin's desk.

Ly took a seat before watching her wife perch herself lightly on its armrest beside her. "Can't be as rough as admitting four affinity users and a cyborg."

Ozpin's small smile came back as he took his own seat, the smell of brewing coffee beans seeping into the air from beneath his desk.

Where he hid his coffee maker. A place always in arm's reach.

"You would be surprised," he returned evenly. The man glanced to the women sharing a chair for a moment before resting his arms on the glass in front of him, thinking nothing of it. "I've had my eyes on a particularly fast, yet still rather young individual. She's a prodigy. One with a kind heart."

"Something special about her?" Ano asked, though Ly nudged her leg to stop her from pressing for information. She couldn't help it, though.

"Records at Signal show her to bear silver eyes," Ozpin replied earnestly, an interest falling in his gaze as he locked eyes with Anoel again. "She's also the niece of an old friend of mine."

Anoel hummed lightly, Ly's hand starting to tighten around her own. She _really_ wanted to ask more questions, but bit them back.

"Speaking of persons of interest," Ly interjected calmly, directing her firm gaze to Ozpin. "There's a reason why we've stopped by today."

Ano's chin dipped in a nod as the two watched Ozpin quirk a silver brow, his interest changing to regard them instead of his own thoughts.

"More than just a little small talk, anyway," Anoel tacked in, finally getting past the question lodged in her throat from earlier.

Ozpin's arms adjusted for a moment on the desk as he interlaced his fingers, bending his arms up to hide his lips behind their raised support.

Something he always did to hide his reactions. He always found it difficult hiding his intrigue…

"Would this be about the free admittance I've already given to your daughter?" he asked, eyes peering through unkempt silver bangs as he tilted his head forward.

"It is," Anoel replied, catching a small twinge in his cheek behind his hiding hands. The signs of a small smile. "We… think she'll be ready to attend this coming semester."

"She's not doing well at Signal…" Ly cut in abruptly, a small frown forming on her delicate brow. "We were discussing her options and… we think she'd progress better here, at Beacon."

A long few seconds ticked by as Ozpin stayed indifferent in front of them. And Anoel wasn't sure what she should make of what she was getting from him.

There was intrigue and excitement… but an underlying layer of worry and doubt, as well.

That was only natural, from him, though. Especially regarding Ira, and the rest of his student populous.

"I… suppose it wouldn't be an issue to advance her ahead by two years. However, despite the potential she has as a student," he slowly replied, his voice keeping an even tone to avoid betraying any internal conflicts in him, "she lacks control."

An immediate dejected look crossed Ano and Ly's faces as they traded glances, but Anoel came here to help with her daughter's problem at Signal. They both did.

They couldn't let it be easily turned dow-

"That being said," Ozpin continued, finally leaning his face away from his hands as he sat back in his seat. " _If_ she can prove she has that control, then I see no problem with admitting her into my academy this year."

Ly was the first to snap her attention back to the headmaster, eyes shining a little as she smiled.

"She'll be ready," Anoel cut back in now too, a confident firmness in her voice. "It'll be something to look forward to, for her."

Ozpin's face kept its indifference, though, his eyes trading glances between the two women.

"There is, however, one other condition I'd like to be considered."

Ano and Ly quickly traded a mutually confused glance before turning back to face him. "And that is?"

The headmaster's look grew pensive for a moment before continuing. "Ira's cousin has been… to put it bluntly, and to quote the council, 'stealing real huntsman's jobs' across the board."

The evenly stated phrase caught the two women off guard, a final moment of intrigue crossing his face as he smirked.

"If you can convince her to join Beacon this year as well, it'll give her a 'real' huntress title," he finalized, his voice losing its professionalism for a moment as he broke his gaze away. "The council won't have much reason to complain, after that."

Ly was the first to respond, donning a smirk of her own. "When you say 'stealing real huntsman's jobs', what exactly do you mean?"

"To surmise the notice I received earlier this month," Ozpin responded. "She's too skilled and efficient to be a petite little sixteen-year-old girl."

"Seriously?" Anoel asked, smirking from her spot on Ly's chair. "They're complaining that a little girl's showing up their big boy huntsmen?"

"That is exactly the case," Ozpin confirmed, returning the smile.

Ly chuckled to herself lightly. "Oh just _wait_ until she hears about this…"

"I believe it will apply some leverage to her decision. However, I doubt that would be all it takes to convince her to join," Ozpin replied, bringing his eyes back to Ly now. "She has her father's stubbornness."

"We can convince her," Anoel said, feeling a bit more confident than she was before. Getting that girl to join wasn't going to be _too_ difficult. There was too much Arex in that girl not to be.

"Assuming we can find her," Ly commented to the side before turning her gaze to the window. "She's a vagrant one, so unless you'd happen to know where she is, Headmaster, it might prove a little difficult."

"I can tell you she's in the Kingdom," Ozpin informed, sparking Ly's attention again as the two women looked back to him. "Rumors are circulating that Grimm are ammassing on Sanus. That would no doubt draw her here, to the city."

"Well, she does live here too, albeit in two houses," Ly replied calmly. "She's bound to come back regardless."

"If she's in Vale, I can track her down," Anoel stated, keeping her voice as calm as her wife's as she pulled out her black scroll. It wouldn't be hard finding the girl through her network, considering how many jobs she takes up at a time. "Won't be long, either."

"Good. I believe we have a deal, then?" Ozpin asked, fully resting his arms on the desk as he looked to the both of their rising faces.

"We do," Anoel agreed, nodding her head in agreement with her wife's mirrored nod.

"Then if all goes well," Ozpin finalized, standing from his chair. "I'll be seeing both of them here come initiation."

Anoel's attention perked up as she stood, her hand finding its way back into Ly's to help her up at her side before bringing her eyes back to Ozpin. "That reminds me."

His attention turned to her, Anoel's smile lessening in wake of it as she dropped the playful octave she'd been using throughout the meeting.

"I have a few suggestions for initiation this year, if you wouldn't mind discussing them."

After another few seconds of silence, Ozpin rested his arms behind his back as he regarded her with a small spike of interest.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 **Xera: Hopefully you don't mind the bit of first person for Kamiko. It's nothing too new, considering that's how Niro's written in Rogue Huntsman (assuming you read that). If you haven't read that, well, I restate my first sentence.**

 **We'll try to use good judgment calls on which scenes are portrayed through who, and considering those will** _ **only**_ **take place when Ira and Kamiko are in the same scene, you don't have much to worry about.**

 **We'll find a fitting way to trade that perspective back and forth.**

 **On a side note, and to sum things up a little, Ira freaked out, Kamiko showed off, Ira freaked out again, Ano and Ly were sweettalked by Ozpin, and now you're all going to be introduced to a new character come next chapter.**

 **Ira's cousin.**

 **Username: One of my all time favorite OCs in fact.**

* * *

 **Omake:** _Coup de Cousin_

* * *

"To surmise the notice I received earlier this month," Ozpin responded. "She's too skilled and efficient to be a petite little sixteen-year-old girl. Her weapons are bigger and more developed than her body. And she, to also directly quote the council, 'doesn't even have a driver's license'."

Anoel was stunned, but smirking all the same from her spot on Ly's chair. "They're complaining that a little girl's showing up their big boy huntsmen with their big boy toys?"

"Not only that. Each member of the council has been trying to undercut Ira's cousin and her sources of missions by redirecting any real requests away from her immediate vicinity," Ozpin replied, returning the smile. "They say she's 'cheating' and hasn't been fulfilling the requests 'desirably'."

"And… that's actually being taken at face value?" Ly asked.

"Not at all. Riots have broken out across the coast, small girls have been seen putting on masks and breaking windows, and the council has been getting girly dolls with knives and toy guns mailed to them ever since an unnamed individual leaked that particular notice."

That time, Ano couldn't help but laugh a little at that. "Well, that doesn't sound so bad."

"I suppose not. But I believe the main thing the council's been focused on has been this particular girl's continued efficiency, despite their best efforts to sabotage her."

"That's just in her nature, though," Ly replied calmly. "To overcome obstacles."

"The issue with that is, with recent political movements and demand for adult rights for young girls hitting the streets enmasse, I'm afraid the council may take violent action," Ozpin clarified.

"You're afraid civilians will get hurt?" Ly asked.

"No…" Ozpin replied calmly. "I'm afraid someone may hire Ira's cousin to take the council down, and succeed."

"Oh…"

"I still want that girl in my school, by the way," Ozpin made sure to clarify again. "Coup or not."


	9. Cousins

Timeless Awakening

Cousins

«»

Anoel sat flicking through her scroll now that they were home. Her cheek rested in her hand as she rummaged through her contacts, trying to find the best person to forge some transcripts.

Ly was fixing up a smoothie for them across the island. The twins already had theirs in the other room, so the two women quietly started discussing the events that unfolded in Ozpin's office.

"I can't believe you thought _catapults_ would be the ideal method of introducing Ira and the rest of those poor kids to Beacon…" she spoke, half-amusedly, half-admonishingly. "Nothing says 'Welcome to Beacon!' quite like flinging them into hostile territory."

"Ira needs a landing strategy. But if she hasn't gotten a grasp on her aura by then, I'm sure _someone_ will happily catch her," Anoel chirped back, eyes flicking past a few profiles in her list. "If Kamiko's interested in Beacon, it'll basically ensure Ira a partner she'll actually like."

Ano's wife fixed a deadpan stare over her shoulder. "We can't rely on a girl we've known for less than twenty-four hours to help our daughter. Need I remind you that we don't even know what she's capable of?"

"I liked her curry," the phoenix replied evenly. As if that was the only qualification needed for trust.

The ominous expression Ly pulled was one Anoel knew well. A very serious amount of doubt was stricken across her face that would have made even the oblivious grimace.

With a small sigh, Ano rested her scroll down and laid her arms out over the island, resting her head in the crook of her elbow. "There's only two people I've _ever_ met who I haven't been able to read, Ly. And those people were Niro and our daughter."

The woman's eyes slowly traced up to her wife's face as she fixed her with a pursed pout of the lips. Trying to be cute.

"I have a good feeling about her." Despite what Anoel said, though, that pout turned into a small frown. "But if she finds a way to hurt Ira, I'll find a way to bury her."

Ly sighed as she poured the smoothie into a large glass, sticking in a pair of straws before moving over to the opposite side of the island from Ano. "I'm not saying I don't like the girl. She seems nice enough, but I _can't_ say I _trust_ her… She's a massive unknown Ano, and every answer she's given has only proposed more questions."

"I know…" Anoel muttered softly, lifting her head a bit to watch Ly's movements from her stool. "I'm not saying I trust her yet. But there's enough time between now and Beacon to let her prove we can trust her. She may even know more about Niro's past than I do…"

"That's what has me on my toes," Ly replied calmly, shifting closer on her stool as she let the smoothie rest on the island between them. "You've shown more interest in her than anything else in the last two, maybe three months. Kamiko has your mind all fired up."

Ano deflated into her arms again, mulling over the words in a quiet pout. "I can't help it. Niro's been the _one_ mystery I haven't been able to solve and have been denied answers for at every twist and turn… And now that he's gone, Kamiko's the only person who just might know something."

"I think she knows…" Ly muttered quietly, letting her hand gently grasp her wife's. "I think she knows who Ira is."

"Better than we do, apparently," Anoel muttered again, moving her fingers to interlace with Ly's as she rolled her head a little. "I _really_ don't like that, you know."

"I can see that, which is why I'm standing back and letting this happen," Ly replied softly, a little smile forming on her face. "It's eating at you and I want to at least give you the chance to pursue it."

Ano just grumbled quietly as she lifted her head up, sliding to the edge of her stool to lean forward and sip from the straw facing her. "I don't want you standing back. I want you at my side for this…"

It involved their daughter, for one thing. But they were married now. Ano didn't want to pursue this alone.

"Then I'll do just that. If it's a mystery you want us both to solve, then I'm happy to help you," Ly replied earnestly. "Isn't that my job as your wife?"

Anoel rolled her eyes tinily at the comment before blatantly crawling up onto the island and leaning over their shared smoothie, craning down to kiss her wife instead of take another sip. "The only thing I ask of my wife is to give me the pleasure of loving me. That's all."

Lylac smirked as she gazed up into Ano's eyes. "I've been doing that for a _long_ time, Ano."

The phoenix returned the smile with a strong flash of gold in her eyes, an earnestly joyful look crossing her face. "And I love you for it… now catch me."

Anoel threw her arms around Ly's neck and slipped off the edge of the island, Ly's hands grabbing hold of her waist as she lowered her down into her lap and let Ano straddle her. "Nearly spilled the smoothie there. Good thing you didn't, because I won't be cleaning it up."

"If it got on you, that'll be my job," Anoel said cheekily, keeping her arms draped affectionately around her wife's nape as she smiled down at her. "Aside from finishing the _delicious_ smoothie you made for us, we have all day to kill before Ira gets home. And the twins are probably getting pretty restless with us being lax in their lessons today…"

"You and I know for a _fact_ that our little bookworm is happily squished into a corner with her head buried in another dimension," Ly giggled as she replied.

"Okay, _one_ of the twins is probably restless then," Ano corrected, smile widening further as she nipped at Ly's cheek and jaw.

"You know that if she can't get Aaryn to entertain her, she's going to harass one of us. And I will not take the blame for _that_ inherited trait," Ly countered amusedly, letting Ano do as she pleased.

Anoel smirked against Ly's warm face as she nuzzled into her cheek. "You never complained about me being needy before."

Ly chuckled as she let her hands slip under Ano's black t-shirt, delicately running her nails up and down the center of her spine. "And I'm not complaining now, either."

A light hum escaped Ano's pressed lips as she arched her back into the touch, moving her wings out of the way to make room for the invitingly invading hands. "Let's finish our smoothie before Astra wanders in here and finds us like this again."

"Too late," Astra passively bemoaned as she drowsily walked toward the sink, holding two empty glasses as she approached it.

" _Honey_ ," Anoel's voice cut out, the woman shifting on her wife's lap as she turned her slight gaze to their daughter. "Can you at least _pretend_ to make a little noise wandering into the room?"

"Not _my_ fault mom's stealthy," Astra dramatically answered back. She dropped her and her sister's glasses into the dishwasher before making her way over to one of the stools and throwing herself on it.

Ano couldn't ignore the muffled laughter beneath her, _clearly_ Ly found it hilarious.

Anoel nipped at her wife's neck to shut her up before turning her attention to Astra limp on her stool, eyeing her with an almost knowing concern. "What's wrong, Astra?"

The girl snapped up and clambered onto the stool before resting her arms on the island, letting her head lethargically bury into them. "I'm _bored_ and Aaryn's being a nerd again," the girl whined.

Ly's chuckling finally turned into a blatant smile as Anoel sighed, the phoenix turning slightly to lift one of her legs and sit sideways across her wife's lap. "How long has she been reading?"

"Thirteen years!" the girl exclaimed incredulously, loud enough for her twin to hear her from the living room.

Anoel tallied up how long they'd been slacking for the day from their usual homeschool schedule, reasoning that their daughter had probably been engrossed in her books for a couple hours now.

"Has she moved?" Anoel asked curiously.

Astra lifted her head up to glance at her mother. "Aaryn _never_ moves when she's reading. Only to turn the pages."

"Alright then," Anoel quipped with a small nod of her head, leaning down for a moment to peck a knowingly smirking Ly's cheek before sliding off her wife's lap. "That girl needs some exercise."

Astra immediately perked up as she jumped from the stool and rushed around the island to grasp at Ano's shirt. "Are we gonna do flying?!"

Ano smirked at the question and turned an affirmative gaze down to her daughter, running her hands through her feather-soft blonde tresses. The girl's face only lit up at that.

"You two are _Phoenix_ , the fastest winged creatures on Remnant. And you _lost_ to some girl who can't even fly in a game of tag," Anoel deadpanned, fixing her daughter with an amused glare. "Of course we're going to do some flying."

Ano's glare was met by a frown forming on her daughter's face and a small fist lightly banging against the woman's thigh. "She cheated! It doesn't count!"

"Then make up for it by grabbing your sister and meeting me outside," Anoel returned, smiling as the girl glomping her immediately shot off, yelling for Aaryn in her nook.

A loud thunk echoed through the living room as Ano saw a book fall gracefully closed against the wall, an annoyed groan coming from Aaryn.

"You could've _waited_ for me to finish that page…" The girl's light voice came out more annoyed than anything else.

"No time! Get up! We're going flying!" Astra returned uncaringly, her excitement radiating throughout the tone in her voice.

Anoel moved back into her wife's side as she wrapped her arms around Ly's shoulders, humming to herself as she listened to the amusing banter from the other room.

"And get all sweaty and exhausted? Can I pass?" Aaryn replied, a soft shuffling coming from where the two voices came from.

A few moments of silence passed before a small squeak escaped the reserved twin and Astra returned to the kitchen carrying her sister over her shoulder. A proud, yet slightly annoyed expression on her face as she looked to Anoel expectantly.

"I'll be outside shortly," Ano ordered bemusedly, watching Aaryn squirm a little before going limp in resignation, resting her chin on her hands behind Astra's back. "And change her clothes. If she doesn't want to get sweaty, those pants and sweater aren't doing her any good."

Astra nodded before turning on her heel and rushing toward the stairs, the limp body of her twin being dragged along with her.

"I should make some salad for when you three are done. It'll rehydrate you after your exercise," Ly spoke calmly as her arms draped around Anoel's waist.

"Please. That girl's going to need it," Ano said, turning an amused smirk to her wife. "At this point, I'm starting to think she doesn't even care about unlocking her semblance."

Ly sighed, but let her lips draw into a light smile. "She'll come around when she's ready. Astra's always been the one to bulldoze through challenges and training like that first anyway. Aaryn will inevitably fall in line with her."

"Hopefully _willingly_. She's turning out to be a little Arex, which I _doubt_ came from me," Anoel replied, slowly letting her arms slip from around Ly's frame.

"Nope. _That_ I'll take the blame for," Ly replied bluntly. "I was just as excited to train my semblance as she is now. She just needs to find a reason to use it."

"She doesn't want a reason to use it," Anoel corrected. Her voice quietly dropped in volume as a sigh escaped her lips, gaze tilting slightly to continue. "But Astra will probably help her come around. Eventually."

"Ano…" Ly brought her hand up to her wife's cheek before gently brushing some of her raven locks behind her ear. "They're only thirteen, but you can rest easy knowing they'll pull through this task together."

"I know…" Anoel spoke softly in return, a breathlessness settling in her voice as she leaned into Ly's tender touch. "They start combat school this Fall. I don't want her dealing with the same struggles Ira's going through. She's a delicate girl."

"If you're referring to the bullying, Astra would cave skulls in before anyone laid a finger on her sister," Ly replied, donning a serious expression for a moment. "She's a _very_ protective girl, _especially_ when it comes to her partner in crime."

Ano drew her lower lip between her teeth and bit it softly, bringing her gaze back to meet with Ly's own again. "Astra's always been her wall, so I know we can rely on her keeping Aaryn safe. But nothing's pressuring Aaryn at all to make any progression."

A long, drawn out breath left Anoel's lungs as she drew her gaze off to the side, glimpsing the kitchen window over the sink. "Maybe Ira going to Beacon can spark some real reason in her to train. Their love for their older sister outweighs whatever insecurities they feel. So catching up with her might be on their minds once she's enrolled."

Ly's smile widened. "You're right, she's their idol. I mean, it's either that, or you drill it into Astra's head that her sister is falling behind and she'll kick her consistently to get up and train. Metaphorically speaking, of course. But I wouldn't cross out physically, too."

A small smile formed on Anoel's lips again as she quirked a delicate brow, finally moving fully out of her wife's arms at the sound of light footfalls from upstairs.

"We'll see. And we have plenty of time to get there, I suppose…" Ano replied, drifting her gaze around the room to where she threw her coat.

"Our babies aren't completely grown up yet," Ly spoke back with a grin.

"Not even close," Anoel returned, a thoughtful smile forming. "And sometimes I hope they never do."

* * *

"Are they sufficiently sweaty?" Ly asked playfully as she fixed Anoel a glass of ice water.

The phoenix looked completely fine, but happily accepted the water anyway to take a small sip from. "Definitely. Though, I'm worried Aaryn might pass out in the bath."

Ly waved the concern off. "Astra's got her, she'll be fine to take a nap. Besides, if she wants to go to Signal, she needs to get used to this level of exercise."

"Oh, I'll make sure she's at least in a _little_ shape once school starts for her. It'll only get harder if she gets this worn out so easily," Anoel replied, setting her glass down as she leaned into the edge of the island. "Did my scroll go off at all while I was out?"

Ly nodded, taking a seat by the island in their kitchen and crossing her legs. "It buzzed a couple of times, probably to do with those forged documents you were after."

"Good, they're still as fast as they say they are," Ano commented with a cheeky grin, letting her weight settle into her arms as she tapped her boot against the ground. "That solves the transcript issue. I need to start tracking Gina. See where she's been taking jobs around the kingdom."

The info-broker glanced to her wife for a moment as she tapped the island, Ly withdrawing a black scroll from her pocket to slide her way.

" _Thank you_ ," Anoel chirped, flicking the device open to immediately start scanning through Vale's mission roster, sifting over to the completed categories. "How many do you think she's finished by now?"

"Enough to fill her pockets for a while," Ly remarked with a grin. "She's good at what she does, the Council really have no reason to complain."

"No reason whatsoever…" Anoel voiced back, her tone turning light and airy as she casually flicked through a _long_ list of finalized missions. All stamped with the same letter 'G'. "Her most recent places her by Cynthia."

"Check her profile, Ano," Ly instructed calmly as she let her hands rest on her thighs. "We could probably figure out which direction she's going from the locations of her completed missions."

Anoel was already giggling to herself as she turned her scroll around, a connecting line between a series of dots on a map coming in from the Mistrian coast, its curve working its way to the northern end of Sanus. " _Way_ ahead of you. Look at her go!"

Lylac grinned as she leaned forward and manipulated the map to get a larger view of the dotted trail. "She's been hauling ass… This says she was in Atlas _3 days_ ago."

"Like you said, she's good at what she does," Anoel slid her scroll back into Lylac's grasp as she returned the grin. "Looks like Signal's in her path. Maybe she'll get there by the time school lets out."

"That girl flies at the speed of sound, it honestly wouldn't surprise me… Arex did a good job teaching her how to fly, amongst other things," Ly replied as she closed Ano's scroll and let it rest on the island's surface. "Guess I'm cooking for seven mouths tonight…"

Ano was already getting giddy about the upcoming visit. "It'll be nice having her over again. Ira's always felt comfortable around her."

"You're just making excuses, you're excited to see your niece again, I know it," Ly replied with a giggle. "It's written _all_ over your face."

Anoel's lips curled into an obvious smile as she leaned around the island and chastely pecked her wife's cheek in amusement. "Of course I am. I love that little fiery munchkin. We can give her the guest room if she's staying the night."

"And Kamiko? Where's she sleeping?" Ly questioned, raising a delicate eyebrow.

"You raise a good point," Anoel muttered, leaning away with her smile still on her face. "We can give Gina the twins' room then, let Kamiko take the guest room. I'm sure they won't mind."

"Nah, they won't care, but leave it as a surprise. The girls will be happy to see her again," Ly replied cheekily.

"We're all happy to see her again," Anoel corrected. She stepped lightly around her wife's stool and wrapped the woman in her arms from behind, pulling herself close to tuck her face into Ly's neck. "It'll be a pleasant surprise for everyone. And it makes filling her in on our plan even easier."

Ly's hand reached up and combed through the hair near Anoel's ear. "Yep… Though, Gina will be passing Sukariko, so she'll likely go and see her dad before you inevitably catch her."

"Like I said, it'll be a pleasant surprise for _everyone_. I'm sure he already knows anyway," Anoel whispered back now, leaving a kiss against Ly's skin in reciprocation of the fingers threading through her hair.

Ly hummed affirmatively, enjoying the affectionate gesture. "Have fun, and try not to scare her _too_ badly."

"It's just a hug," Anoel replied lightly. "A supersonic fly-by surprise glomp. She'll love it."

"She'll _hate_ it, but do it anyway. I'll be here with the twins in the meantime."

"Okay," Ano hummed softly, pressing her lips atop Ly's collarbone before pulling away. "Make sure Aaryn takes a nap now so she can be more awake for when Gina gets here. I'll be back soon."

"Will do, sweetie, now go and fetch Gina before she disappears to Arex's and we have to wait longer to see her. I wanna cuddle her too," Ly said as she let her arm fall back down to rest her hand in her lap.

"I'll be back before you know it, honey," Ano responded cheekily, giving her wife one last smile before plucking her scroll up and stepping toward the door. "I'm sure Arex won't mind if we steal her daughter."

* * *

Ira's walk suddenly stopped as the school shook, her gaze flicking to the windows running brightly down the white hall. She caught a small dispersing line in the clouds as a sonic boom wracked the building, but… couldn't tell if it was an actual aircraft.

"A-Anyway," the girl said, turning her attention back to Kamiko. "That's kinda everything for the tour. It's not a really big school."

She was still trying to forget what happened at the gates before class. And she was _really_ hoping Kamiko wouldn't bring it up at all while they walked around the empty halls.

Now that school was let out.

"Yeah, but it still gets the job done," Kamiko replied, shrugging her shoulders. "There's a certain school I could name which I'd say is… a little bigger than is necessary."

"Most of the Academies are like that," Ira replied, but she agreed with Kamiko's first statement. "Are you… staying over again?"

Her volume fell a little quiet by the end there, and she finally got her legs moving again, but she wanted to know. She was thinking it was just a one night thing, or a few nights at most.

"Looks like I'll be sticking around for a while, actually," the blonde replied, flashing Ira another radiant smile, which the girl was quick to avoid. "I came across a good reason to stay here… so it looks like I'll be borrowing the guest room while I stay in the area."

"Oh, okay…" So, they'll be housing her then while she does. She'll… have to get used to Kamiko being around. "I guess that's why you're also planning to go here then, while you're in the area for a while. What convinced you to stay?"

"That's a secret… for now," Kamiko replied, holding her index finger to her lips. "But I already started to accomplish one of my goals here."

Ira didn't honestly mind that Kamiko was going to keep it a secret. She couldn't help but admit that she was a little curious though. "That's… good to know then. You're already making progress, which is good too. And if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I just thought I'd ask."

Their steps were surprisingly loud in the white hallway, despite how quietly they were walking, so Ira kept her gaze sweeping along the tiled floor with her hands on her bag strap again. It felt like they've been defaulting there a lot, lately.

"Want to start heading back home? Or is there anything else you need to do while you're at the school?" Ira asked, convincing herself to bring her gaze up to meet with Kamiko's again.

Kamiko shook her head, her radiant smile somehow appearing brighter than the afternoon sun shining through the window. "Nah, we're in the clear to go straight home for now."

Ira was kind of hoping for that response. Being here was only reminding her of earlier, and she never really liked sticking around the school for longer than she was supposed to be.

"Okay. We can take the back route then, if you want. You haven't seen that pathway yet, so it'd be good to take it at least once so you know the path," Ira offered, her steps feeling a bit more directed now instead of just carrying her mindlessly through the halls.

Kamiko nodded amicably. "Sounds good to me. Haven't been through this area in a while, honestly. A lot has changed since last time."

Last time? Ira's only really been here for a few years now, so she didn't know if the place had gone through any drastic changes in the last decade.

But, that would've put Kamiko at least at around the age of 5, if it was sometime before the past ten years.

"You can remember all that at a young age?" Ira asked curiously, her frame coming to a stop at the back door to the school before pushing it lightly open.

Kamiko shrugged. "It takes a long time for my memory to fade even slightly. It kinda borders on eidetic…"

Ira hummed softly as she considered that, keeping the door open for long enough for Kamiko to follow her through before letting it swing closed behind them. "That's a good trait to have."

The girl didn't want to talk about her own memory, though. Hers always felt so… strained, for some reason.

"I dunno, it tends to be a double-edged sword to me…" Kamiko hummed, her voice unreadable for a few moments. "But I just have a lot of things I wish I could forget."

"I think a lot of people can relate to that," Ira replied, her footfalls falling into dry dirt and stones now as she glanced to the grove of trees ahead of them. "Though, you risk forgetting who you are if you forget too much of your past."

Kamiko's smile became self-reproachful as she mulled the words over. "Who I am, huh…? That's the one thing… I could never forget, no matter how much time passes."

Ira glanced up to Kamiko for a moment in response to that, giving her a partially weird look, before letting that fade back into her neutral gaze again. She wasn't going to judge, even though Kamiko made it sound dramatic and tragic for some reason.

They were only fifteen.

"I guess that's fair." Ira didn't really know what else to say. "By the way…"

The girl didn't want to talk about what happened this morning. But that didn't stop her from at least being a little curious about everything that happened. Especially considering… Kamiko did all of that without using her aura.

"How did you… do what you did… earlier?" Ira asked slowly, her brow knitting together slightly as she tried to think of the best way to word it.

Kamiko put a hand to her chin in silent contemplation before her eyes lit up as she realized what was being asked of her, bopping her fist into her palm. "Oh, that. I spend my days taking care of high level grimm without my aura. Compared to that, dealing with a couple of people still in school to learn how to fight is child's play."

Ira's response to that came in a slow, tiny nod. But confusion quickly swept back into her facial expressions as she lowered her gaze back to the ground. "Then… why are you even trying to get into Signal if you're nowhere near that level?"

"… Boredom, I guess," Kamiko responded with a shrug. "Haven't had the chance to talk with people my age in quite a while… so I just kinda felt like a change of pace was in order."

Ira… guessed that made sense. She figured that, at that skill level, it must've been pretty boring knowing you weren't ever going to be around the same age group as yourself. "You can say I'm the opposite, I guess. I'm kind of below the bar here, despite being around people my age."

"Hmm… I dunno if I'd go that far…" Kamiko mused, a gentle smile crossing her features. "Seems to me like you're just holding back because you're _too_ strong, not the other way around. Maybe your power is so strong that it's difficult to control… if I were to venture a guess."

Ira grimaced slightly at that, and her lingering gaze drifting over the ground narrowed slightly in defense. She… wouldn't call herself strong. "I don't know about that…"

Kamiko spent a long while talking with her moms, so… she wouldn't have put it past them to accidentally let something slip about her. It sounded like Kamiko already knew.

"Well, if I'm right, and you want to learn how to control it better… I can definitely help you out with that," Kamiko continued on as if she hadn't just been refuted. "Aura control is something I was forced to learn with incredible precision due to the destructive nature of my own power, so it's not like I haven't been in that position before myself."

Destructive nature… huh? Ira didn't really like the sound of how closely her own aura related to that. "I don't know. Even if you're right, I… don't want anyone trying to help if there's a chance of them getting hurt."

It was the main reason why Ira always refused help from her own family. Because she was terrified of hurting any of them.

"Trust me when I say I am not saying this to insult you…" Kamiko prefaced her remark with this before dropping a bombshell. "But at the level you're at right now, I doubt very strongly that you'd even be able to scratch me. Your power is strong, sure, but from what I can tell, you don't even know how to focus it yet."

Ira lightly bit her lip at that, part of her trying to take what Kamiko said at face value. The rest of her just… couldn't believe it. "I… can't. You don't know how much I _want_ that to be true, but I can't just take that at face value and believe it."

How could she, with what's already happened whenever Ira lost control?

"I wasn't expecting to get my point across with words anyway…" Kamiko replied, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand. "So how about once we get back to the forest, I prove it with my actions instead? I'll show you what my aura looks like when I get a little serious."

"If you're really willing to, anyway," Ira replied back. It was a lot of work to train someone, Ira knew that. And it was even more work trying to help someone who was as afraid as Ira was about her own power.

If… Kamiko was offering… and she really _could_ help her…

This might've been the first time Ira's actually had a little hope in gaining some control over her aura, instead of constantly beating herself down with reminders that letting go always ended in destruction.

Kamiko smiled gently. "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't willing… Ah."

For a few moments, Kamiko paused, as if something had caught her attention. By the time Ira took a few seconds to stare in confusion at the girl, she started moving again. "Oh, someone's fighting up ahead, sounds like…" she absently noted as they walked along the beaten forest path.

"You can hear that?" Ira asked, turning her attention forward as she strained her ears to try to pick any kind of sounds up. After a few more steps, the quiet startings of metal ringing and tearing flesh actually made its way to her ears too.

Someone was fighting Grimm.

The air went silent for a few short moments before a sporadic, irregular cone of fire burst from the trees in the distance, quickly followed by the careening form of an alpha beowolf.

It struck the pathway hard, skidding and tumbling violently over the dirt before coming to a sudden halt when Kamiko placed her foot down on its spined back. Right before it plowed into them.

The beast's fur was singed, smoking with burning embers as it struggled to move under the weight of Kamiko's black combat boot.

Ira only really knew of one girl who could've done that to the poor, powerful grimm…

"Wait, when did she…?" Ira trailed off, bringing her eyes back up to the path in front of them as another smoking shadow was volleyed into the air, enwreathed in hazy fire this time.

And a girl was falling with it.

Black and orange sneakers struck the ground hard and skid toward them, Ira watching as the girl in front of them slowed herself and the beowolf she was locked with to a stop. Dirt kicked up for a moment, but Ira caught a glimpse of the fighter's hair through the dust.

Long, black, softly flowing tresses running quickly down into a brightening red and pale blonde-tipped strands.

The way she had it up in a ponytail only reinforced the idea of it being a burning flame...

"Gina?" A flutter of excitement actually found its way into Ira's voice as her tone shot up a few octaves, eyes wide at the scuffle in front of them.

The girl turned her head to the source of the voice as she was locked into a stalemate with the grimm, pushing against her sword with both hands as it clashed with razor sharp claws.

" _Oh…_ Hey Ira!" she called out before her dark emerald gaze locked with the burning crimson beowolf's.

She moved her right leg behind her before pushing against the grimm with a visible strain, making use of the new leverage and actually lifting the beowolf into the air before slamming it down behind her with a small grunt.

Dazed, the beast tried to get back on its feet again, but Gina drove her sword into its back and ripped it upwards in another blaze of fire, carving cleanly through its head.

By the time she turned back to face Ira and Kamiko, Ira was already darting forward, bag dropped to the side in the dirt before throwing her arms around her.

"Nobody told me you were in the kingdom!" Ira exclaimed, completely _ignoring_ the painfully dying grimm and tightening the hug, clamping her chin over the girl's shoulder.

"Well…" Gina started as she wrapped her arms around Ira, reciprocating the warm embrace with a wide smile. "I _did_ just get here… I've been flying for a couple of days now."

"That was _you_?!" Ira asked, her head darting back to look Gina in the face. "I heard the sonic boom, but I didn't know it was you flying overhead..."

Gina nodded as her smile brightened. "Yeah, guilty as charged. I went to see mom before I flew over Signal."

The girl took a moment to sheath her sword inside the scabbard on her back, managing it despite Ira's arms wrapped around her. "She actually made some cakes for me, but knowing her, she made _way_ too many for me to eat alone."

"That sounds like her…" Ira said, finally letting the older girl go. But she was only older by a year. "Ah, sorry, I kind of just went off and forgot to introduce you to Kamiko…"

As Ira said that, she turned a gaze back to Kamiko, giving her an apologetic look.

"Kamiko, this is my cousin, Gina."

Gina followed Ira's gaze to the blonde standing idly by herself. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Kamiko replied with a smile as she flashed the new arrival a peace sign. "That was some impressive fighting, by the way."

Gina nodded politely. "Thank you. I've been training since I was little, so it kinda comes naturally I suppose," the girl replied, pulling at the hem of her amber sweater to straighten it out.

It was nice seeing that paired with the three-quarter length denim shorts on Gina, but Ira didn't think too much of it. This was the daughter of the woman Aaryn stole her style from.

Arex's fondness for sweaters really rubbed off on them… And Ira had to admit that she liked wearing them too, every once in a while.

"What kind of cakes did she give you?" Ira asked, taking the pause in the conversation to settle her curiosity, finally taking a small step back as well.

Gina looked to Ira, still smiling, before reaching for her black backpack and pulling it around and pulling out a bakery bag and holding it out for her. "She made quite a lot, mostly cupcakes and stuff. Some brownies too. You two can have some if you like, I know I _definitely_ won't eat them all."

"You already _know_ they'll disappear if I take some home with me," Ira replied, reaching to carefully take the bag from Gina's grasp. "My family loves aunt Arex's baking."

"Oh yeah, but then again who doesn-"

The weight of the bag of sweets suddenly fell fully into Ira's hands as a streak of mom blew by, and then Gina was gone.

Ira's wide eyes slowly tracked after the direction Gina was abducted, a distant, immature cackling slipping through the trees.

" _Mom!_ Bring my cousin back here!"

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 _Character Ownerships (as they appear):_

 _Hydra: Gina_

* * *

 **Username: You know, I really need to put up a notice on my copy saying that it's being discontinued and to go follow this one instead…**

 **X: True. They don't really know what's going on if they don't follow this version at all. So I'll leave that to you. I am curious though how the Omakes are being taken.**

 **Username: Same. In this early stage of the story, the Omakes are one of the best parts in general because they make for great comedy, IMO, but I do not claim to speak for everyone lol. That being said, the main story is still a blast to write and read for me.**

 **X: Everyone has their own tastes. The Omakes can get super immature, but they give me an excuse to completely break canon. So, I find them fun. I'm just curious about how they're received.**

 **Username: I have the sense of humor of like, a thirteen year old half the time, so no wonder I find them funny XD. But Only like one person has commented on them so far, and he's as weird as I am, so… everyone else: how you liking them so far?**

 **X: He'll be reading that. He knows it's about him xD. I need some kind of externalized monologuing blanket that I can throw on top of people, imbued with magic to make them externalize all of their conscious thoughts.**

 **Username: I said it hoping he'd read it, plus, we already know he's self-aware of what I said anyway XP. But speaking of which… this chapter's Omake is about that very topic. This is the kind of stuff she thinks about when the scene isn't in her perspective, at times.**

 **X: The innocent but determined munchkin has no idea. But at least her cousin's popping in now. I wonder if she'll catch onto what Ira's oblivious with…**

 **Username: Hmm, I wonder about that… we'll just have to see XD.**

 **X: *throws blanket over User***

 **Username: You sure you wanna know what I'm thinking right now?**

 **X: Oh, no, this one just puts a lock over whatever spoilers you're about to try to say when talking.**

 **Username: Funny, because I was going out of my way to not do that already lol.**

 **X: *throws a second one over just in case***

 **Username, muffled under the blankets: Tune in next-**

 **X: *piles more blankets on and pokes air holes***

 **Username, voice fading in muffle: -time to see what lies in store for our protagonists! See you then!**

* * *

 **Omake:** _Externalized Monologuing_

* * *

Ira's response to that came in a slow, tiny nod. But confusion quickly swept back into her facial expressions as she lowered her gaze back to the ground. "Then… why are you even trying to get into Signal if you're nowhere near that level?"

"… Boredom, I guess," Kamiko responded with a shrug. "Haven't had the chance to talk with people my age in quite a while… so I just kinda felt like a change of pace was in order."

Change of pace? Why did Ira's tongue suddenly reel in her mouth and her nose crinkle at the overwhelming smell of bs hidden in those words.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. The twins found you trying to sleep in a tree, so I can imagine you'd been away from other teenagers," Ira reasoned, trying to relax her face again as she focused on walking.

"Oh, you have no idea." Kamiko breathed a tense sigh at the response, seemingly exhausted and relieved to finally be able to let some words out. "Do you know how hard it is seeing and talking with a wickedly cute girl after _years_ of social avoidance?"

Ira's next step nearly tripped her as she squeaked for a moment, finding some quick footing as she slowed down to a more gradual pace. "N-Not really?"

"I mean, _come on_ ," Kamiko continued, taking a step forward to enter Ira's line of sight. The action only brought the girl to turn her pinpoint focus to the ground in a mad blush. "Just _look_ at you! What was I supposed to say when you walked into the kitchen in your school uniform?!"

"I-I-" Ira stammered out, _actually_ tripping this time mid-walk and falling over her own two feet. Another squeak came out of her with an added yelp as she fell into Kamiko's arms, the taller girl tipping Ira back to reset her balance.

"Just let me kiss you," Kamiko quickly said, taking Ira by the shoulders.

Ira was in a blushing daze, stammering even in her thoughts as she shot her gaze everywhere else but into Kamiko's clear eyes. "I-I don't… w-what…?"

"Two seconds! Just two seconds!" Kamiko pleaded, almost shaking the girl. But doing so gently.

Ira bit the lips Kamiko was so intently focused on, the girl quickly becoming self conscious of that entire half of her face the more the taller girl stared.

It was only making her blush darken.

"C-Can I-I-I… t-think a-about th-this… _p-please_ …?" Ira tried to ask, but every word she managed to stammer out was met with an impatient whine from Kamiko's throat.

Her blush spread to her neck and ears now.

Kamiko's desperation only grew.


	10. Annoying Radiance

Timeless Awakening

Annoying Radiance

«»

Anoel was still cackling a little before she fell into a fit of giggles, nuzzling cheeks with the girl she'd just swooped down and stolen from the forest. They were high over the tree canopy now.

" _How_ are _you_ , Gina?" Anoel asked with a lighthearted, mirthful laugh. She was having _way_ too much fun with this. She just couldn't help it.

The girl stared up at the woman with a small frown. "Well… I _was_ having a conversation with Ira."

"Oh, was that who that munchkin was I stole you from?" Anoel asked with a happy ignorance. "She'll be home in a few minutes. _I_ just wanted to see if you wanted to stay the night."

Gina went limp in Ano's arms and crossed her own with a drawn out sigh, but displayed no hint of being upset. "I have a feeling you've been planning on this…"

"More like plotting, really," Ano corrected. Her lips twisted into a purposefully wicked smile before she broke out in another laugh. "Sorry, I can't be evil. I've already talked it over with your moms. She doesn't mind you staying _just_ the one night at our home before you go back."

"And you couldn't have called me ahead when I left moms'?" Gina asked skeptically, rolling her eyes.

Anoel's look turned incredulous as she fluttered her wings down a little, carrying them into a slight draft of wind as she met Gina's gaze. " _Me_? Inform my victim of my surprise glomp? Where's the fun in that?"

The girl tried to conceal a little forming smile. "I… suppose you have a point…"

"Of course I do," Ano cut back before stealing a kiss from Gina's cute cheek. "Now, while you _are_ here, Ly and I have something important to talk with you about. But that can wait until you're settled in."

Anoel's black wings slowed now as she fell into a glide, softly making her way down through the air to the cabin's front door down below.

Gina's eyes flickered with specks of yellow as she met Ano's own. "What is it?"

"That'll have to wait. I don't want to overwhelm you, and I want Ly with me when we ask you. You know, for more parental pressure," Anoel stated evenly.

Her boots landed with a soft tap on her front porch and didn't so much as _think_ of setting Gina down yet, her steps bouncing as she strolled over to the welcome mat and knocked on the door with her foot.

" _Honey_ ~" Anoel called out with a smile, cocking her head a little as she stared at the darkwood door. "I came back with the pint-sized half-phoenix like you wanted~!"

Both of them heard footsteps approaching the door, though Gina couldn't help but flash an unamused glare before the door opened.

"Took you long enough," Ly replied, resting her hand on her hip as she held the door handle with her other. "I was starting to think she outran you."

"Despite how _dangerous_ she can be over short and long distances, I like to think I'm pretty fast in the air," Anoel responded, lifting Gina more comfortably in her bridal carry as she stepped over to her wife and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Ira will be home in a few minutes. She looks like she's in a good mood."

"Until you kidnapped me… at least," Gina cut in briefly.

"Oh, she'll be fine. If anything, she'll probably be more inclined to hurry up," Ly countered, giving the girl a little cheeky grin. "Anyway, you've had your fun now, Ano. It's my turn."

"Don't break her. You're the stronger one," Anoel said with a small smile, lowering Gina to her feet as she stepped into the foyer and past her wife.

Ly's arms immediately shot around the girl, eliciting a tiny squeak from her as Ly brought her into a tight, but gentle embrace. "Having fun exploring the world, sweetie?"

"I was before I got _stolen_ ," Gina muttered, mostly to herself.

Lylac giggled a little before loosening her hold and keeping her hands on Gina's shoulders. "Well, it's nice to see you regardless."

Anoel gingerly took her boots off as she fixed Gina with an amused glare. "You know, I'm starting to think all you want to do right now is _complain_. _I_ was just fulfilling my unpredictable mom role. Besides…"

Ano's voice grew calm for a moment as she breathed a small sigh, slowly easing herself out of her jacket. "Ira's really going to like you being here… The twins, too," the woman spoke lightly, in a more breathy voice than her teasing one.

"Speaking of which," Ly cut in, turning to face her wife. "I made sure Aaryn took a nap. She's still sleeping upstairs. Astra's with her too, to absolutely no one's surprise."

"Those two are inseparable, so of course they are," Anoel said, her eyes glancing to the stairs as she placed a swift hand on her hip. "I'll let Astra know Gina's here. She usually has a good feel for when to wake Aaryn up."

Gina stood next to Ly with a curious look in her eyes, glancing between the two women half-expectantly. "Why's Aaryn taking a nap again? It's only like… 4 pm…"

"Got her to train today," Anoel stated simply, cocking her head again as she peered a side gaze over her shoulder to her niece.

Yellow eyes turned to her as Gina silently nodded. "Oh… right. She's not a fan of that."

"Not in the slightest. She was _exhausted_ when we came back in," Ano said, lifting her hand to clasp the rim of her hat to take off and rest on her jacket's hook. "Anyway, are you hungry? Or did Arex feed you before you left?"

"She handed me a lot of cakes, but I haven't eaten since this morning," Gina replied courteously, half shrugging. "So yeah… I'm a little hungry."

Ly stepped past the girl after lightly ruffling her hair and shutting the front door with her foot. "Lucky for you, I knew you were coming. Dinner's already in the oven, so it won't be long before it's done."

The woman then fixed her wife a smug smile. "I hope you like shrimp pasta, because that's what's on the menu tonight. Any complaints will be met with a complete lack of sympathy."

"Oh? But I like it when you take control," Anoel replied back, leaning forward to give her wife a playful smile before pulling out her scroll to send Astra a quick message. "Besides, I'm more than happy to eat your shrimp pasta, dear."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that," Ly replied, padding over to her to give the woman a kiss on the cheek as Ano typed out her message, then walked into the kitchen. "Make yourselves comfortable. I'll call you when it's ready."

A smirk splayed across Ano's lips at the kiss before turning a quick gaze to catch her wife sauntering away, happily taking that image in before turning to Gina and offering her a small smile.

She was just standing there. Awkwardly.

It was cute.

"If I have my timing down right, we should be hearing footsteps _right about_ -"

And just like that, rushed footfalls fell onto the wooden porch as Anoel's smirk widened, her finger flicking to the door as the knob turned and Ira pushed her way inside. Kamiko behind her.

" _Mom!_ You can't just take her like that! We were talking!" Ira complained, already throwing her shoes off and dropping her school bag by the stairs, slim shoulders rising and falling with her hastened breath. She was clutching a bakery bag in her other hand.

"I wanted it to be a surprise, but you cheated by finding her first," Anoel replied, lightly taking the bag of her sister's cakes away from Ira's fingers before sweeping an arm beneath her to throw her onto her shoulder.

Ano smirked as small fists fell against her back as she made her way into the kitchen, dropping the cakes off onto the island before turning back to Gina and Kamiko.

"Ah, right you two haven't met-"

"Put me down!"

"-yet. Gina, this is Kamiko. She's staying over for the time being as well," Anoel spoke calmly, her daughter's legs kicking now.

"Oh… uh yeah, we met earlier," Gina calmly replied with a nod, offering the blonde a smile. "Didn't know she was staying over too though."

Ira's whining and whimpering was only getting more persistent before Anoel decided to place her daughter back down onto her own two feet.

The girl's face was a _bright_ red, and the girl's lips were already pursed in a hard pout as she looked up at her mom in indignation.

Ano could only smile at that. Ira _never_ blushed that hard when she did that in the past…

And by past, she meant last week. On top of that, she's done it to her in front of Gina, too, and Ira never got this red.

That left just one tiny little uncommon variable in the room, and Anoel's eyes traced up to catch the gray eyes of Kamiko standing just against the kitchen door frame.

 _Ah…_ One walk to school together, and she was already making her daughter embarrassed.

Something definitely happened.

* * *

Ira grumbled to herself as her mom blatantly ignored her plight, hoping the heat in her cheeks melted away faster than it certainly felt like it was as she leveled her breathing.

Did Ano _really_ have to do that with Kamiko watching?

She was a kid, sure, but she wasn't _that_ young. Anoel just didn't know when to _not_ do something to her children…

"So, you're staying over?" Ira asked, biting the inside of her cheek as she turned her gaze back to look at Gina, catching Kamiko's gaze just behind her cousin.

With what happened at school today… Ira didn't know what to think with Kamiko. So she was hoping all of it wouldn't be overly questioned.

Gina nodded with a little awkward smile. "I guess so, but I'm not bothered at all. It's been a while since we've really done anything together, so it sounds like fun."

"Yeah, it has… You don't really visit too often anymore," Ira said, feeling the last remnants of heat leave her red cheeks to revert to her usual pale complexion. "It's nice seeing you again. Sorry we couldn't talk more in the forest. Mom was being… mom."

"It's fine, not the worst thing to have happened," Gina replied lightly, her eyes changing to reflect a golden hue.

"Still a little annoying, though," Ira spoke back, a soft sigh leaving her lips as she finally brought herself to look Kamiko's way. "And… sorry about all the ruckus. This is kind of a normal thing for my family. It's… very lively."

Kamiko just flashed her another radiant smile, and Ira was suddenly having second thoughts about addressing her. "Don't worry about it. It's more fun this way, anyhow."

Ira slowly nodded to that, trying hard not to blatantly avert her eyes before giving a partial shrug. "At least you're okay with it, then. I'm used to it, so I can forget that it's not a normal thing for most families."

"The concept of normalcy is a myth, didn't you know?" The tall blonde replied, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "There's really no such thing."

"Really?" Ira's voice grew light for a moment as she quirked her head, a genuine disbelief settling in her gaze. "My family can be _super_ weird, though."

Her eyes then fell on Gina again.

"Both of ours, actually."

Gina's family relations was a _lot_ less normal than Ira's own, considering the girl had three moms and a dad. Technically.

Only three of them were actually biologically related to her, though. And it was just two pairings, because aunt Arex only loves her wife. She had no real attachments to Gina's other mom and dad outside of friendly relations.

Come to think of it, Ira's moms never really did tell her why that was, and how Gina had those kind of parental ties.

"Our family is very convoluted, to say the least," Gina commented casually as she slipped her hands into her pockets. "But it's not dysfunctional. Which I'm grateful for."

"Yeah, I'm grateful for that too, with mine," Ira replied, though she never really was sure if she counted toward that word or not. She… always caused more trouble for everyone else. "Anyway, did you two want to do anything while we wait for dinner? Moms are-"

Ira glanced back for a moment, just to catch an eyeful of Anoel holding Ly by the waist and resting her chin over the cook's shoulder.

"-busy…" Ira finished.

"Glad to see nothing's changed…" Gina murmured, flecks of orange filtering into her dark green irises.

"Not a chance, with those two," Ira muttered, feeling a little embarrassed herself as she quietly stepped past Kamiko and Gina and started padding her way to the living room.

Gina followed before taking her backpack off and unclipping her weapon's scabbard, letting it rest against the armrest before sitting down and placing her backpack down beside her.

Ira glanced back once she reached the back of the couch, looking to Kamiko for a moment before noticing the twins still weren't around.

Which was weird, because the couch was their usual spot when Ira got home from school. It was rare _not_ to find them there.

"Come to think of it, have you thought of anything you wanted to do outside of school?" Ira asked, bringing her eyes back to Kamiko again. "I don't really want to get in the way of that, if we actually do end up doing what you offered… on the way back."

The training would be nice. A heavensend, actually. But Ira didn't want to press for it if she had even the slightest bit of doubt that Kamiko could handle it.

"Well, I do have the arrangement which brought me to the area in the first place," Kamiko stated in a matter of fact voice with a shrug. "But that won't come up for another few weeks at the very least, so until then, I'm more or less free, barring school."

"I know what you mean, except I don't go to school. I'm mostly homeschooled as well as self-taught in a lot of things, so I never saw a reason to attend," Gina spoke informatively as she crossed one leg over the other.

"I'm mostly going for a change of pace, honestly," Kamiko replied with a smile. "I'm not really at a low enough level where schooling would help me improve either, so I'm mainly there for fun."

Yeah… _fun_. Ira partially wondered if beating into Sapphia counted for that.

Gina gave an amused hum. "Never thought I'd hear the words 'school' and 'fun' in the same sentence… I can't say that I'd honestly find that much enjoyment in being subjected to homework and forced socialisation."

Ira just grimaced at that last part, but she couldn't help but jump into the conversation again for a little bit. "I'm sort of with Gina on this one, but I know there's a lot I can get out of school too. Even if I have to put up with the other stuff."

"I'm not much of a people person myself, actually. I'm only interested in socializing with one person in that school," the six foot blonde pointed out, tossing a smile in Ira's direction. _Again_. "Specifically, the one I just walked back here with. The others are borderline irrelevant in my head, honestly."

Ira's little hum in her own mind grew pitched for a moment as she glanced away from Kamiko, avoiding the smile directed at her.

 _Not again…_ She felt her cheeks heat up, and it only reminded her of that stupid wink she sent her way while she was dealing with Sapphia.

Ira couldn't be the _only_ reason why Kamiko's doing it.

Gina seemed to take notice of the sudden fluster with a curious, but highly amused gaze in her direction. "Something wrong, Ira?" She asked as she leaned back into the cushions.

"N-No." The response was out of Ira's mouth before she could think of a better one, and she couldn't help but grimace at how instinctual it looked. "I'm not exactly a social butterfly, so I don't really see what the big interest is."

"You look a little hot, might I suggest taking your uniform jacket off?" Gina asked politely, _clearly_ playing the innocent card.

Ira all but glared at the girl, her cheeks getting redder as she hoped Kamiko wasn't getting a kick out of this. Of all the times Gina _had_ to tease her…

Out of the corner of her eye, she could practically feel as much as see the coy smile on Kamiko's face. "Yeah, you do look a bit red. Maybe you have a fever? Might be a good idea to change into some more breathable clothes…"

Ira's face only grew hotter as she stepped away from the couch and turned away from the two, _mainly_ Kamiko, for no other reason than to hide her annoying blush.

"F-Fine, you two… figure something out. I'll go change," Ira muttered, gripping the sleeves of her uniform uncomfortably as she made her way toward the stairs. She felt stiff under the dumb collar of her shirt and jacket, and it _really_ wasn't helping that she really was feeling hot in the uniform she had to wear for school.

The simple fact that it had a short skirt too didn't help. It wasn't something she liked to wear, in any regard, but the school uniform just came built in with it.

It was kind of weird, actually. She liked short-shorts, but skirts she drew the line at in her comfort attire.

Maybe it was just something she got from Ano and Ly, because they wouldn't be caught dead in a dress unless they were on a date with each other.

Before she could catch anything else the other two said, Ira ran upstairs with light footfalls and disappeared into her room.

That… _sucked_.

Seriously, did they really have to rub it in like that? And what's the deal with Kamiko? They'd only _just met_ , and she was already saying those kinds of things to her.

Ira was socially awkward as she was. She'd never even _had_ to deal with flirting before.

And she wasn't even sure if it was that harmless, teasy flirting either. Which made it all the worse.

Still bristling, Ira quickly went to her closet and tugged herself out of her hot uniform, the fabric already clinging to her skin slightly. It was a _serious_ relief getting out of it all, ditching the tight attire in favor of a much looser thin sweater.

And turning to her closet, she quickly took out a pair of black short-shorts to match the top she just grabbed.

It was darker colors, sure, but it was only supposed to be humid today. She could handle the sun. So these clothes would help her breathe a _lot_ better if they ended up outside at some point.

With her uniform hung back up now though and the new clothes tugged on, she quickly headed back toward her door with a slight fan of her hair, her hands moving to slide any stray strands out of her loose, open collar.

She was going with Arex's style today. Which showed some of her shoulders in the neckhole of the thin, short-sleeved sweater, but it was comfortable and she figured she could do it for Gina. To build that little parallel to her mom.

Ira silently made it back out of her room and closed the door quietly behind her, bounding back down the stairs before coming to a light slide past the kitchen door frame. Peering inside, it looked like dinner was probably going to be a while.

Because it looked like Ano kept distracting Ly.

So the girl figured they had some actual time to kill while they waited.

"Okay, figure anything out?" she asked, falling to a walk out of her slide now as she padded over to the two in the living room.

"Nah, we just kinda sat here chilling while waiting for you," Gina returned evenly, eyeing Ira with golden irises. "Nice outfit by the way."

Kamiko piped up too as soon as she made it over. "Gina stole my line…"

"It's just casual clothes," Ira replied back, coming to a stop behind the couch again as she glanced between the two of them. "I mean, we can always just talk if you wanted. But I kind of wanted to be _out_ of hearing range from the kitchen while they make pasta."

"Could always sit outside," Gina suggested, shrugging her shoulders as she turned to face the window. "It's a nice day today, no point in wasting it."

"I'm down with that," Kamiko affirmed, amicably nodding her head. "Shall we go then?"

"I like the idea too." Ira dressed for exactly that, since she figured it'd happen either way tonight. "There are some chairs we can use just outside on the back porch. I also like to take the roof whenever I can, but I usually wait until the sun gets a little lower."

Ira pushed away from the couch at that and made her way back to the front door, plucking her sneakers from the ground before sitting on the stairs to slide them on.

"Roof sounds good," Gina spoke lightly, kicking off the couch and leaving her belongings where they were. "Probably more sunlight up there."

"Yeah, it gets really nice, especially in the evening when the sun's low," Ira replied back, popping back onto her feet before tugging slightly at her sweater, turning to the other two.

Kamiko simply stepped over to the foyer and bent down, tugging her boots on from there to make it faster.

And with a quick look away, Ira crossed the room back over to Gina and pushed open the backdoor, warm air with a cool breeze fluttering through her raven hair as she smiled.

She loved that feeling.

"All set?" she asked, stepping out onto the back porch as she held the door open.

Kamiko didn't give a verbal reply, simply nodding and walking through the open door before jumping up onto the roof like the distance meant nothing to her at all.

The soft flick of air through Ira's strands of hair was only insult to injury watching how easy Kamiko made it.

Ira quietly sighed to herself as Gina stepped out now too, letting the door swing shut behind them. "I'm the only one who's going to be forced to actually _climb_ up… aren't I…?"

It was more of a dejected mumble than a question.

"Yup!" The girl beamed, before a pair of glowing flame-colored hardlight wings materialised behind her and pushed against the air to propel her upwards onto the roof. Ira stepped out into the yard to watch her land softly on her sneakers before turning and waiting for her younger cousin to make her way up. "You can do it, Ira!"

"Gee, thanks for the lift, Gina," Ira said back with a roll of the eyes and a huff of air into her hair, brushing the scattered strands behind her ear as she looked to the side of the cabin.

The half-phoenix looked down at her before sighing. "You can be so melodramatic sometimes, you know that?"

She then hopped down from the roof, using her wings to float down safely in front of Ira before lifting her up in a bridal carry.

"Don't ever say that I don't spoil you."

"I know. I would've climbed up if you didn't come down," Ira muttered back, nestling herself into the hold. She was still getting used to being picked up like this.

"And complained about it the whole time," Gina countered, tightening her hold. "Brace yourself."

The girl bent her knees slightly before pushing up again, pushing her wings down with more force to compensate for the additional weight.

Compared to Ira, Gina was like a feather. Even though Ira didn't actually weight very much to begin with…

The two then landed on the roof, Ira being set down on her feet as Gina's wings disappeared.

"Didn't need any shipping goggles to see the sparks flying there," Kamiko told them with a playful smile as she sat down at the center of the roof.

"We're cousins, so whatever sparks you were seeing were from her hardlight wings," Ira replied back, feeling at least a bit more at ease with teasing that wasn't directly focused on her. Especially when she was feeling outnumbered, too.

With her weight back on her own two feet though, Ira moved up a little on the roof to take a seat on its slant near Kamiko, loosely draping her arms around her legs as she looked at the other two. But that curious gaze fell on Gina for a moment as Ira's eyes grew curious.

"Your mom's okay with you staying over, right? I really hope Ano isn't causing problems with your short visit home…"

"Ano said she'd already told her and that she said she was fine with it," Gina replied, sitting down next to Ira. "Goes without saying that I don't have many other plans, so it's okay with me."

"Okay, as long as it's fine," Ira replied, turning her gaze to the sky for a moment before leaning back, resting comfortably on the roof before glancing to Kamiko. "I'll make sure you get the guest room this time. The twins are probably going to give Gina their bed, so they'll likely be crashing in my room again."

The sitting blonde nodded and gave one of her trademark radiant smiles. "Sounds good to me."

"Yeah, sorry you didn't get that room sooner though," Ira's partial glance slipped away as soon as she caught sight of that smile again. It happened so _often_ , and Ira still didn't know how to react to it.

So she just tried to act less startled by it than she really was.

How does someone even _develop_ a heart-fluttering smile like that so easily anyway? It wasn't fair, especially if it was being used on her.

"My moms are like that all the time. So, sorry in advance for whatever other trouble they're going to cause you the longer you stay here," Ira continued, biting her lip for a moment as she distracted herself with the golden clouds in the sky.

Gina chuckled a little. "I think the term trouble is underselling it a little bit, Ira."

"Probably, but I don't want to scare her off…" Ira said softly.

Kamiko simply shrugged her shoulders. "If that constitutes trouble, then I'm in for an easy time here, honestly… they're amusing to watch, to a certain extent."

Ira broke into a little smile at that. "Amusing. That's a funny word to describe it."

"It's that 'certain extent' that you need to be mindful of, what you've seen is _nothing_ ," Gina added with a grimace.

"Fully aware of that. I've already seen their foreplay foreplay, after all, which was intense enough on its own," Kamiko pointed out, her smile unaffected by what she said.

"About that…" Ira's face scrunched up as she knit her brow for a moment, an awkwardly uncomfortable expression quickly forming. "They _literally_ get lost in each other. So, if they _do_ go too far, don't be afraid to clear your throat or something."

The blonde simply shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I have been where they're at now, so… I may or may not be desensitized to it, for the most part."

"Seriously?" Ira glanced over with a little shock in her eyes, though she immediately regretted it after realizing a faint blush settled in her cheeks at the implications too. "I'm the same age as you, and the furthest thing I've ever done was just _talk_ with people… And not even that much, either."

Outside of getting cozy with family, Ira's interaction outside of people she already loved was practically nonexistent.

"You don't really need to explain that…" Kamiko replied with a smirk. "Your lack of experience is… let's call it self-evident."

Ira's confusion at that quickly melted away under another burning sensation in her face, her wide eyes immediately narrowing again. " _Hey_ , it's not like I'm used to that kind of thing… especially from girls."

"That's _literally_ my entire point…" Kamiko chuckled at the end.

"You don't have to rub it in," Ira grumbled quietly, bringing her eyes away from Kamiko's smirk. It was probably just teasing for her own enjoyment, anyway.

It didn't mean anything.

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 **X: Gonna keep this nice and short.**

 **Username: The omake is too funny to keep from you for too long.**

 **X: Wha? Noooooo. Don't read that. Nobody wants to read that.**

 **Username: Suuuuuuuuuuuure. Anyway, in the interest of shortness, let's wrap things up here.**

 **X: Yup. Things to expect are just Kamiko getting comfortable in the weird house of Ano and Ly. That, and two more characters will be stopping by come the next in-story day. So, about two to three chapters from now.**

 **Username: See you then!**

* * *

 **Omake:** _What You Do to Me: It's not my fault you're so cute._

* * *

 _Damnit Damnit Damnit Damnit DAMNIT!_

 _Why do you have to be so cute? WHY?_

 _Just STOP! STOP STOP STOP STOP STO-_

She blushed again.

 _DAMNIT!_

I smiled. Like a fool, I smiled. And just like last time, she looked away again.

Fuck me. Fuck this. Fuck her.

God I want to fuck her.

"Okay, I can't take this anymore." I threw myself onto my feet, nearly losing my balance off the side of the roof as I whirled around to face her. "Remember what I asked about on the walk back?"

"N-No…?" Ira offered.

 _DAMNIT!_ "How can you forget?! I tried to kiss you!"

Her cute face reeled back and turned bright red again. "A-And I said I needed time!"

"I gave you time!" I yelled. Damn her, now I'm getting even more desperate. I _need_ this!

"Yeah! Like an hour!" she yelled back. She kept her bright eyes fixed on the shingles between her feet as I stood stiffly. And she was pouting too, damnit. _Pouting! Why is she doing this to me?!_ "It's not like it's easy to… t-to accept that."

"Yes! Yes it _is_ easy, Ira!" Now my voice was getting really high pitched as I pushed more and more of my breath into it. It was making me breathless. _She_ was making me breathless. "Just say yes! You won't even have to _do_ anything! Just lie there and kiss me back!"

She was getting more and more red by the second, and it was _excruciating_ to see. Just. Let. Me. _Kiss_. _You_.

"I-I don't… know how…" Her voice came out in the softest of murmurs.

I barely heard it over my own heart.

"What?" I asked. Almost squeaked, even.

"I-I don't know how, okay!" Ira's eyes finally shot up to mine, and I froze.

 _GOD. DAMNIT!_

"See! That only makes me want to do it even more!"

 _FUCK!_


	11. Shrimp

Timeless Awakening

Shrimp

«»

Light footsteps shook the ceiling of the kitchen as Lylac and Anoel collectively plated out the pasta.

"I think the twins are hungry," Ly commented with a smirk, holding her hand out for the next plate.

Anoel lightly hummed as she turned her gaze up, smiling as she did. "Think that was to wake Aaryn up?"

" _Nope_ , that was Aaryn being dressed," Ly quipped in return, still holding her hand out for the next plate to be handed to her. " _Plate_ , Ano."

"That girl needs some tact," Anoel muttered, lifting another plate up from the stack and gingerly handing it over to her wife. "Poor girl's probably going to be lethargic over the next two days. Not like that'll be much different, though."

"Aaryn needs four hours to wake up in the morning after a long night's rest," Ly pleasantly remarked with a widening smile. "Astra needs two seconds. _Wonder who she got that from…_ "

"Hmm, I wonder…" Ano picked up another plate and carefully spun the platter between her palms, leaning over teasingly as she stepped up to her wife by the stove, still plating the first one. "You never seemed to have minded that part."

"I'm not complaining, but I'm honestly considering giving the girl coffee, you know," Ly spoke lightly as she used the serving spoon to place some pasta on the plate in her hand.

"She already likes tea. I doubt she'd be a fan of coffee," Anoel replied, leaning over Ly's shoulder now as she peered into the remains of the pot. "Your solution with a cup of coffee can easily be remedied by Astra with a book on a fishing line, you know."

Ly turned to look at Ano with a grin. "I doubt even _that_ will wake her up. Aaryn has three states; asleep, falling asleep, and sleepy. All the time. _Unless_ she's at a good part in her books, then it'd be moderately awake. So, technically, it'd be four states."

Anoel smiled at that as she hummed softly, resting her plate on the counter next to the stove before encircling her arms around Ly's waist again. " _Well_ , I find it _adorable_ in our munchkin of a daughter. You can just pick her up and set her in your lap, and she'll have no trouble falling asleep there. Even at this age. Astra would just fight it."

"That's because Astra only has _two_ states. _On_ and _off_. If she's awake, you know that she _has_ to be doing something," her wife added, letting her weight settle slightly into Ano. "But that's all the reason to feed them, so we should do that."

"I'll get them. You call in the girls on the roof," Anoel whispered softly, leaning around Ly's ear to place a peck on her cheek.

Ano slowly slipped her arms away from her wife as she strolled out of the kitchen, swinging around the wall to the stairs before quietly making her way up to the twins' room.

Without knocking, the woman pushed her way into the room and calmly knocked _after_ the door was wide open.

" _Girls,_ dinner's ready," Anoel informed, flicking her eyes to the two on the bed.

"Tell that…" Astra replied with a little strain, "to _Aaryn…_ "

The girl was trying to place a sweater on her sleepy twin and evidently struggling to do so given how Aaryn's limp form was not cooperating. She looked like she'd rather curl back into her pillow.

"Why? You're doing _fine_ ," Anoel supported from the sidelines, a smile of adoration soon crossing her lips as she sighed and made her way into the room. "Need help?"

" _Yes!_ " Astra replied expressively, a small pout pursing her lips as she finally looked to her mom. "I'm hungry and so is she, but she's too lazy to do anything about it!"

"That's because she'd rather sleep than actually sustain her body with food," Anoel replied, calmly lifting Aaryn's limp form from Astra's struggling hands before sitting down on the bed.

She kissed the back of her daughter's head as she lifted the girl's arms up, placing Aaryn in her lap to let Astra get the girl's sweater on. Aaryn just leaned back into the warmth and closed her eyes. She was _really_ sleepy.

"Seems that nap didn't do much, huh?" Anoel asked softly.

With Aaryn already in a position that made dressing her immediately easier, Astra slipped her sweater on and pulled it down snugly.

"No, but she can sleep after we eat," Astra countered a little demandingly, but her light frown quickly turned into a smirk that _almost_ mirrored one of Ano's own trademark grins. "Or she'll wake up when she finds out that _Gina_ is here."

Anoel felt Aaryn's body move on its own for the first time as the girl lifted her head up, eyes cracking open to peer over at her sister.

"Gina's here…?"

"Yes, honey," Anoel answered for her, smiling as she let go of the girl's arms and wrapped her own around her daughter. "Your cousin's staying the night. You should go say hi, she'll be joining us for dinner."

"Mom kidnapped her and dragged her back here," Astra tacked on, her smirk turning into a toothy grin as she stood.

" _I_ did _no_ such thing!" Anoel gaped, her mouth falling open in a mock gasp.

"Mom, don't lie," Aaryn muttered, tipping her head back as she looked up at Ano's chin.

"Yes you did! You _always_ do that!" her twin chirped in dispute with their mother's claim, pointing an accusing finger. "It's how you say hello."

Anoel only looked more appalled. "As your _mother_ , I have the right to glomp cuteness the _moment_ I lay eyes on it. If you think half a kingdom will stop me, think again-"

"Mom just likes hugging things," Aaryn chirped again, voice soft and laden with drowsiness as Anoel felt two small hands patting gently at the arms she had encircled around her daughter. "Point proven."

Astra nodded in agreement, lowering her arm as she slipped her hands in her pockets. She impatiently started rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet with her gaze trained on the door. "Can we go and eat now that you're awake?"

Aaryn tilted her head as her gaze grew tired again, drawing out her thoughts before Ano watched her slowly open her mouth again. Like it was actually effort to say words. "We can. We'll see Gina that way."

"Of course you will," Anoel said, keeping her arms locked around Aaryn as she stood up. She carefully reached down and scooped up the girl's dangling legs as she did, eyes falling to Astra. "Meet you downstairs. It's my fault she's so tired anyway, so I'll carry her."

She nodded quickly before hurriedly rushing out the door, footsteps trailing down the stairs before Ano heard an excited exclamation. "Ginaaa!"

"I can walk on my own, you know," Aaryn spoke softly, Anoel's gaze drawing back to her.

"I _know_ you can. But you'll do it _agonizingly_ slowly," Ano bounced the girl in her arms for a moment before smiling widely. "This is faster."

* * *

"Ginaaa!"

With that as her battle cry, a small blur of blonde tackled Ira's cousin almost to the ground as the three of us made our entrance from outside. I just watched it unfold in amusement, content to stand on the sidelines and watch.

 _Take one for the team, Gina. I salute you._

"She's getting faster…" I heard Ira mutter, the girl last to come in and closing the door behind us.

For what it was worth, I was just glad they didn't show the same level of enthusiasm when they found me… I'd never been the touchy feely type, so right around now I found myself particularly glad that they'd all just met me yesterday… because it meant I would not be subject to physical contact for a long while, if at all.

With that depressing thought, though… I wondered if Ira took after them.

Gina caught the smaller girl, thankfully, and lifted her up before settling her on her hip. "Hey, Astra. Where's your sister?"

"She's being carried downstairs by mom," Astra replied casually. A wide smile spread across her lips before she buried her head into Gina's shoulder.

"That she is!" Anoel called out, the woman appearing just at the bottom of the stairs before I watched her cross the hallway and into the kitchen, Aaryn nestled in her arms.

"Is her napping up there at this hour a normal thing, or did something happen today?" I asked before thinking about the ramifications of the question.

"She gets like that whenever she's forced to exercise." Ira's voice answered my question as she stepped past me, moving forward to place a ruffling hand on Astra's head before walking down the hall.

She took her shoes off at the stairs again before leaving them by the foyer, standing back to her feet to look back at me.

"Do you like pasta? I forgot to ask earlier," she voiced.

Astra shot upright in Gina's arms to blurt out her answer with a raised arm. "I do!"

An amused smile crossed Ira's lips, and all of a sudden I realized the hallway was all I wanted to look at right now. "I know you do. I was asking our _guest_."

I shrugged, trying to keep up a casual attitude. "Compared to what I'd be eating in the woods as an alternative, it's a godsend."

I actually didn't like pasta and probably could fix myself something better with my cooking materials I stored away using a certain technique, but it wasn't really something worth complaining about.

Nor would they have any way of knowing I could pull an outdoor grill, charcoal, and a lighter out from thin air if I wanted to, so I didn't see much point. Free food was free food, and that was good enough for me.

"Well, as long as you can eat it, I guess." I watched as Ira's smile fell, falling back to that passive, neutral gaze she kept reverting to whenever she was thinking about something.

Was I being that transparent to her? Could she read me that well already?

"Table's set. Come get your food because I'm not a waitress!" Ly called from the kitchen. "Those of you that are mine, show the other two where the cutlery and condiments are! Thank you!"

"But don't show them my secret drawer! I keep my gloves in there!" And that would be Ano's voice.

Ira's gaze finally turned away from mine as she directed a curious gaze into the kitchen, walking more toward its door frame. "Why do you hide your gloves?"

"They vibrate. And they're waterproof."

" _Ano!_ "

"What? I had to replace a set of gloves _last week_ because you soa-"

Lylac's glare pierced through her wife's eyes as she crossed her arms in the kitchen's entryway, the woman slowly shaking her head disdainfully.

Anoel shut up with a stupid grin on her face.

Okay, I had to take what I said to them back. I most definitely did _not_ remember being where they were at, because I've never, in my entire life, been _that lewd_ , let alone in front of other people.

 _I think I'm just gonna wipe this from my memory later tonight…_

Anoel moved out of the kitchen this time to lean out to us, still loitering in the living room. "Come on girls, sit down. Dinner's getting cold. And ignore what I said, I never replaced the gloves."

 _You just will not let me ignore that, will you…?_

" _Ano._ "

"Coming back!" Anoel chirped, her smile widening as she dipped back into the kitchen and I heard her slide into a chair at the table.

" _All_ of you have about 30 seconds to sit down at the table and start eating, or you can each spend the next couple of hours mowing the lawn… with scissors," Ly demandingly called out to the living room from the kitchen again, the sound of the cutlery drawer ringing out as she spoke.

Gina, still carrying Astra, calmly walked into the kitchen, setting the girl down before picking up their plates. The younger of the two grabbed two sets of forks and spoons before coalescing at the table with the others.

I followed without a word and took a seat which was next to no one. I didn't know if Ly planned to make good on that threat, but I had no intention of intentionally tempting fate there… but still, I wasn't exactly in the mood to socialize right around then, either.

Seeing certain events unfold before me after meeting Gina at the house had soured my mood beyond repair, even if I knew full well that my reasoning was totally stupid.

 _I really thought I had risen above getting jealous over something as dumb as physical contact between family members… but apparently not. Makes me feel like a petty asshole…_

I could feel Ira's breathtaking green eyes on me, and out of the corner of my eye I saw concern in them. Which only served to make my mood simultaneously worsen and get better.

Despite not looking at her, I could tell she took her seat slowly, finding a spot opposite me and adjacent to her moms and Gina. The twins found their way to the opposite side of their cousin, though, the one carried downstairs by Ano looked half asleep.

Her head was already in her arms next to her plate, but she looked like she was making a conscious effort to stay awake. She was actively listening in on the idle chatter tossed back and forth between Astra and Gina.

Which, to be frank, was very likely the only reason why she wasn't passed out right now.

 _She looks adorable like that… not gonna lie, sitting close to her is probably preferable to… certain others right now._

I tried not to let it show in my face or body language, but… I was just glad I didn't have to sit next to Gina right now, all things considered. Unfortunately, this adolescent form came with some really stupid, childish urges that might've been too powerful to resist if she were too close to me. Even though I knew full well it was of no fault of her own.

"Hey, Astra? Mind switching with me?"

 _I'm not sure if this is a blessing or a curse right now…_

My gaze fell on Ira as she looked past Gina, the two girls to her right glancing back to her before Astra lightly pushed her chair out and stood up.

"Yeah, sure. Moms weirding you out and can't eat?" Astra asked.

Ira slowly pushed herself up too with a sigh before making her way around to the other side of her cousin, Astra switching places with her.

"Just that Aaryn looks like she's about to sleep in her pasta…" Ira replied, maneuvering her seat away from Gina to position it closer to her younger sister, whose tired eyes were fighting the urge to close right about now. "Probably be best if someone else fed her."

It was probably safe to assume Aaryn wouldn't be finishing her shrimp pasta tonight.

But before Ira sat herself down, she reached over and gently slipped her hands beneath Aaryn's arms. And as if it was the most normal thing in the world to do, Ira carefully lifted Aaryn up and sat down, placing the younger girl in her lap with her sister's back against her front.

Then with a light clasp of her fingers, Ira gingerly pulled Aaryn's plate toward herself before sliding it to the center of the table in front of her. Leaving just her own plate in front of the two of them in their chair.

 _Okay, it's official. I've found a new paragon of cuteness._

It occurred to me that if I didn't look away soon, I might be stuck staring at them for the entire meal, so I looked away, off to the side… only to be confronted with pieces of food flying through the air, into the mouths of Astra and Gina.

 _Wait a second… what?_

Nobody seemed to mind this childish display, not even the supposed adults in the room. Was this _normal_ for them? Did they do this every time Gina came over?

Seriously?

"Girls, if you make a mess, I'm going to have to ask you to keep it in your mouths," Anoel spoke up from the corner of the table, down the same side I sat at. "So don't miss."

 _I don't believe this…_

Was that supposed to be strict on them? They were literally throwing food at each other and catching it with their mouths. The only people who did that on a regular basis were children under the age of ten… and they were both several years _older_ than that.

How exactly was that acceptable in this day and age? Had maturity levels actually _dropped_ across the board since the last time I interacted with humans for any length of time?

"Don't mind them."

I must have been showing at least a _little_ confusion, because I finally brought my gaze back to Ira to see her looking my way. Aaryn was still attempting to doze off in her lap.

"Astra brings out Gina's childish side. They can be competitive too… Astra's always trying to beat Gina's records because of that," she explained softly, most likely to avoid speaking too loudly right next to Aaryn's ear. "Catching food cleanly over and over again is one of them."

I shrugged my shoulders with a sigh before grabbing my fork and stabbed a shrimp, bringing it up to my mouth before speaking. "Well, to each their own, I guess…"

Ira hummed in response to me as I popped my first bite in, her own hand lifting to take her fork and start spinning a small bite and a piece of shrimp onto its end. "You're probably going to have to get used to it. If you haven't noticed yet, this family can be… _really_ childish."

Her eyes glanced over to give her moms a pointed glance, the small look being met with a cheeky grin from her phoenix mom just as the woman fed her wife a bite of food.

I looked back at Astra and Gina just in time to see two more shrimps sail through the air, then cast my gaze back to Aaryn, who seemed to be just a few seconds away from nodding off and falling face-first into her plate.

"Looks like the apples don't fall far from the trees…" I commented, trying to suppress my inner snideness as much as possible.

"I suppose they don't," Ira responded, glancing down at the girl in her lap as she lifted her fork up. She dipped her chin down over Aaryn's shoulder for a moment to bump her sister's ear with her cheek, whispering something under her breath.

Despite how quiet it was, I still picked it up with ease out of curiosity alone.

"Open up."

To my surprise, Aaryn actually did as asked even though she looked like she was just about ready to crash. Ira was gentle and delicate with her movements as she fed her and let the girl chew for a little while.

She must've been used to eating food on energy levels like this.

Astra actually stopped after throwing another piece of pasta into Gina's mouth, peering over her cousin to glance at her twin. " _Aaryn_ … you can't be _that_ tired that Ira has to _feed you_ …"

I watched Aaryn finally swallow her first bite, the girl peering at her sister for a few tired seconds before closing her eyes again, resting her head back.

"Isn't Gina feeding you, Astra?" Ira asked instead, just after whispering two more words to her sister to feed her another bite.

The girl let off an exasperated and seemingly insulted gasp in response. " _No!_ We're feeding _each other! Duh!_ "

"Yes… because that's so different to her feeding you," Ira muttered playfully.

A stray shrimp caught the young, energetic phoenix off guard as it hit Astra's cheek, followed by stifled snickering from Gina as she held her hand up to her mouth.

"You got a little _something_ on your cheek right there, Astra," the older girl spoke slyly. She pretended not to laugh as Astra threw an unamused glare her way.

In that moment, I noticed a small smile forming on Ira's face just behind her sister's head, the girl watching the two beside her.

 _Great,_ another _reason not to look away…_

"At least I don't make a mess," Ira commented, feeding Aaryn another bite as the tired girl focused all her energy into chewing her food.

I was actually getting curious how long she'd last before she was out for good.

She only lasted another four bites before it was lights out.

* * *

Anoel lightly hummed to herself as she rinsed all the dishes in the sink, swaying a little to her own tune now that dinner was concluded.

"You know, you're only making more and more questions arise than quell them," the woman said, glancing back to the only other person still in the kitchen.

Ly had taken Gina off to the side to see if she could get her onboard with their secret plan and help Ira at Beacon. Ira herself went upstairs with the twins, carrying Aaryn in her arms to put her to bed. Astra likely wasn't going to bed yet, but she was going to stay in the room anyway while Aaryn slept.

It was a nice habit of hers, to never leave her sister on her own.

Kamiko simply shrugged, her neutral expression giving nothing away. "Would you believe me if I said that keeping people guessing is just entertaining to me? Besides, the full story… you probably wouldn't believe it even if I told it to you."

"It depends on how you deliver it," Anoel replied back, running a quick rinse over another plate before leaving it in the dishwasher. "And keeping me guessing is _definitely_ what you're doing. Could you imagine what ran through my head when you looked like a deer caught in headlights upon meeting my daughter?"

"That part isn't really worth keeping you guessing on, but at the same time… it might not exactly be easy to hear for you, as her parent," the blonde replied, her unease almost palpable. "Honestly… I just wasn't expecting her to be that attractive. I have no intention of making any moves on her, but… it caught me off guard at the time."

Anoel's dish-rinsing suddenly stopped as she peered over her shoulder again, giving Kamiko a wide, but hard stare. "I sort of figured that was the case. I get that you're looking for love, but… Ira has enough trouble to deal with. I can't have you planning to lead her on only to hurt her."

Kamiko's eyes dimmed ever so slightly. "Leading her on, huh…? I don't think I'm as important to her as you're implying. But if she's the one to make a move, I won't turn her away just because of a stupid promise I made who knows how long ago. I'm not _that_ cruel…"

Ano didn't know if that was a promise to herself, or someone else. "I'm her mom, I can tell when she notices someone and takes an interest, and when she doesn't. You're already _something_ to her, I just don't know exactly what."

"Well, I'll take your word for it," Kamiko replied, her visage becoming unreadable again. "I haven't known her that long, so I can't exactly get a good read on her yet…"

Then she smiled across the table in a manner almost as radiant as the setting sun. "But if you're right, then you have my word that I won't hurt her of my own volition. I'm bound by my word not to actively pursue her, but that doesn't mean I'm against letting things happen naturally."

"Bound…" Anoel picked out, eyeing the girl's beaming smile with a skeptical frown. "This is coming back to that promise you referred to."

Kamiko nodded, her smile becoming a little wistful. "Yeah. It ties in with that unbelievable story I mentioned, actually. I'm not sure I want to go digging up the past just yet, but depending on how things play out… you may hear it yet."

"Well… I believe a lot of what I hear," Anoel replied back, lightly placing the last used dish into the dishwasher before turning the water off, plunging the room into a dull silence. "I used to be the head of an information network, after all. So it can't be that unbelievable. I'd like to hear it someday, just right now… the only thing I want is Ira's happiness."

The woman slowly kicked the door to the dishwasher closed with her heel, picking up a nearby hand towel to dry off her hands before turning around fully.

Kamiko's smile had once again become bright and cheery, her eyes closed without a care. "That's something we have in common, then. I'll see what I can do."

Anoel hummed to herself, but more out of pensive thought than distraction this time.

"I guess we do… I just hope you'll be able to hold yourself to that," Ano said, dropping the hand towel lightly onto the counter and making her way to the island. "You're good for her, but we don't know you. It's hard to just take your word for it."

Kamiko's eyes opened again as she nodded in understanding. "Well, considering it seems I'll be sticking around a while longer than I intended to, there's plenty of time to get to know each other. Trust isn't something you can earn through words alone. It takes actions, too."

"It does, and trust is hardest to establish when family's involved," Anoel returned, quietly resting her arms on the island as she let her gaze meet Kamiko's again. "If you're everything I think you are… then you might be the thing she needs outside of what we've been giving her."

"I'm honored by the thought," the tall blonde's smile widened between her words. "I dunno if I'm that special, but I'll do my best to live up to those hopes. For her sake more than either of ours, no offense to you."

"None taken," Anoel said, nodding more to herself than the girl in front of her as she pushed away from her lean. She casually stretched her arms over her head and broke the gaze she held with Kamiko, turning it to the door leading into the other room. "I'm going to go check on Gina. See if Ly's convinced her yet."

Ano lowered her arms, letting them fall softly against her sides before bringing her eyes back to meet Kamiko's. "If I asked you… would you join Beacon for her?" the woman asked softly, her voice almost sounding distractedly low with how breathless it was.

The girl nodded without missing a beat. "No question about it, without you needing to ask. That's Ozpin's school, right? Been a while since I paid him a visit anyway, may as well go catch up with him while I'm at it. Besides… considering the wave I came here to protect the city from, if he sees footage of me fighting, I may get scouted without having to apply."

"I don't doubt that," Anoel said with a sigh, feeling a little relief in the girl's answer. "You know, the more you talk, the more I question your age. Which you _still_ haven't answered me about."

"But if I give an answer to that, I lose some of my air of mystery, don't I?" Kamiko's playful reply came accompanied by a cheeky grin. "I think I'll keep you in suspense a bit longer. More fun that way."

Anoel's lips pursed in an immediate pout at hearing that. "Oh _come on_ ~, I even waited all this time without saying a single thing. Can't you just give me _something_?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

Like a child.

Kamiko's annoying grin only widened at that. "Well, at the very least, I'm _acting_ older than you right now…"

"Because you probably _are_ ," Anoel whined, growling to herself as she looked away. Annoyed. She's dealt with immortals before.

They were annoying.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not…" Kamiko's smug grin was almost punchable right at that moment. "But you know, maturity is supposed to even out as you get older. So even if I was some ancient being, my maturity wouldn't be a whole lot higher than yours anyway… in _theory_."

Ano rolled her eyes at that in irritation. "Yeah, yeah, it's so hard to tell these days. But at least there are _some_ signs that give it away…"

The woman peeked back at Kamiko, as if hoping to spot something else out.

She came back with nothing.

Her grin hadn't changed. If anything, it had gotten even worse. "Care to cite an example?"

Anoel ended up just biting her lip in response to that, glancing back to the door. "Whatever. Not everything can be explained in words, you know."

Now she was acting petty. Probably because she was feeling pretty petty. "Guest room's yours tonight, so feel free to use it."

The woman quietly sighed to herself as she finally walked out of the room, making her way upstairs to come to a quiet stop just outside her bedroom door. The faintest of voices filtered through its wood.

It didn't sound like Ly's made much progress yet.

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 **X: Whelp, excluding an explanation for the real reason why this chapter is titled the way it is, I think that's it. It's just character progression and family stuff.**

 **Username: You're all missing out on the meme which this chapter was titled after. It was amazing. Not repeating a word.**

 **X: It really wasn't xD.**

 **Username: Don't downplay what you did, it was hilarious!**

 **X: It wasn't me, I swear. I blame Anoel.**

 **Username: Well then, Anoel is a perfect meme generator. I'm thankful.**

 **X: *breathes a sigh of relief* Anyway, the omake is more fluffy than ridiculous humor this time. Though, I'm keeping to the continuity of the last few omakes starring Kamiko.**

 **Username: Yeah, this one's going in a different direction. Go read it.**

 **X: It involves a fishing rod.**

* * *

 **Omake:** _Wake Up_

* * *

"I'm not… running after that…" Aaryn muttered dryly, _barely_ half-awake in her lump on the bed. Her eyes peered open for what was only a sliver of a second before closing again, the touch of a dangled book tapping her cheek.

" _Come on_ , this is one of the only ways I know to get you out of bed!" Astra yelled, hoping her voice would stir the tired girl just a _little_ bit.

It didn't.

"Go away."

"No!" Astra lifted the book a little, the object dangling on the end of a fishing line. The girl swung the whole thing around at the end of her broomstick before frowning, ideas running through her head.

What to do, what to do…?

"Can always just let her sleep," Ira commented.

Astra whirled around to her sister, book swinging dramatically with her to eye the girl sitting on the only other bed in the room.

"And let her miss dinner? She needs to eat." The twin's eyes turned to Kamiko sitting next to Ira, but the taller girl just looked all slouched and mopey.

She had no idea why.

"Here, I think I have an idea," Astra muttered, dropping the makeshift fishing rod with a thunk before shooting over to her sister's nightstand.

She _always_ left her current book there.

Without a care in the world, Astra popped the thing open and turned to the last chapter, shooting _way_ ahead of the bookmark left delicately about halfway through the story.

Clearing her throat, she began to read the last chapter aloud.

"Chapter thirty-nine. On her last legs, the maiden-"

A heavy, padded _thud_ echoed through the room as a body lurched from one bed to one standing girl, crashing _both_ of them onto the carpet.

" _I'm not THERE YET!_ "

"She's awake!" A small arm shot up from the messy lump on the floor, squished but alive.


	12. Bribery

Timeless Awakening

Bribery

«»

Anoel quietly pushed her way into their master bedroom before closing the door behind her. Things didn't sound like they were settled yet.

"G, what is it about combat schools that puts you off?" Anoel saw both Ly and Gina sat on the foot of the bed, Ly's hand holding the younger girl's own as she spoke.

Gina's chin dipped slightly as she shrugged a little, turning her gaze to the wooden floor and sighing. "I don't know… I guess I prefer the thought of exploring the world over being stuck in a classroom. It's just… not something I can see myself enjoying…"

Ano knew that feeling.

"Yeah… I know what you mean, but have you ever considered them as an experience in and of themselves?" Ly asked in return, smiling as she squeezed Gina's hand.

The girl shook her head as her eyes assumed a dark green hue, decorated with flecks of yellow.

Those eyes turned to Ano standing in the doorway, their yellow specks fading as she made eye contact.

"It's better than you might think, especially if you have a reason to be there," Ano said, slowly making her way into the room. "If you have a good reason, attending the school itself feels less restraining on you."

She came to a stop just beside the two on the edge of the bed, softly taking a seat beside her wife to avoid trapping Gina between the two of them.

Gina's brow furrowed as she sighed again. "I get that, but that's just it. I don't _have_ a reason to attend… I can already fight, know how to control my Semblance _and_ Affinity… and it's not like I have any friends attending either."

Anoel and Ly shared a glance for a moment before Ano slipped her hands around her wife's closest arm, resting her head on Ly's shoulder as she looked at Gina.

"Do you want a reason?"

The girl stared at her blankly for a couple of seconds before shaking her head. "N-Not really… I _like_ exploring…"

"I know you do, just like your mother," Ano continued, her voice growing softer as she spoke.

" _And_ father…" Ly tacked on casually.

The phoenix nodded to that too. "But… we'd like to give you a reason to join, if you're willing."

Yellow returned to Gina's eyes in full as she hesitantly nodded. "O-Okay…"

Anoel bit the inside of her cheek for a moment before smiling softly, lifting her head from her wife's shoulder to pop the question.

"We're transferring Ira to Beacon this year in time for the start of the Semester. We… want someone she's close with to go with her. And…"

"We thought of you," Ly finished softly.

"I… had a feeling that this was going to transition into a big choice…" Gina mumbled, grabbing hold of her arm with her other hand.

Her wandering gaze fell to the floor again as her grip tightened a little. But in the wake of her distracted thoughts she finally let out a question. "Is there a catch? With me joining?"

"I'll let you explain this one, Ano," Ly said as she turned her head slightly.

"Just that you be on her team to help her. And I _don't_ want another bullying problem. Other than that…" Ano said with a sigh, glancing to Ly. "No catch."

She still didn't look convinced, if the grimace she was trying to hide was any indication.

"I-I want to help her, but… I don't know if I can just jump into a school when I've never been to one before…" the girl replied meekly.

"G, listen, we both understand that making such a huge change in your routine - or lack thereof - is something you'd find uncomfortable," Ly said.

The blonde wife sighed before leaning forward and guiding Gina's chin to face her, bringing their gazes closer together. "But Ira needs someone who _knows_ her to be there. For her peace of mind. You know how she gets with strangers, and even more so with unfamiliar environments. We're asking you, because you are among the very small handful of people that she _is_ unquestionably comfortable with."

"The twins would try to go with her if we brought it up to them, but we're planning to keep it a secret. At least for now," Anoel added. "But you can also think of the resources too that you'll have there. Things your father doesn't let you play with."

That comment sparked a very noticeable change in Gina's demeanour, a small light in her eyes flashed as she relaxed a little.

Like her mom, she was very bad at hiding her body language. _Very_ bad.

"Lots of valuable, rare materials to play with, _for free_ ," Ly added, a smirk forming on her lips.

She was cracking.

"All paid for by Beacon and its respective sponsors."

It was working.

Gina was fidgeting in her spot on the bed, her fragile walls faltering against the pressure of two silver-tongued troublemakers. Who were married.

" _And_ a comfortable source who has connections in the four kingdoms who can get you anything you ask for," Anoel tacked on.

Ano moved herself from behind Lylac to sit between her and Gina, carefully leaning toward the girl and brushing her nose against her cheek to whisper into her ear. " _Anything~"_

Orange filtered into Gina's eyes as she tried to avoid making eye contact, redness beginning to dust on her cheeks at the sudden close proximity.

"I-I…"

Ly caught on to what Ano was doing and maneuvered herself to the other side, keeping her face close to Gina's in an effort to increase the peer pressure _just_ to the point of her caving.

"Just try to imagine what you could make with a seemingly _unlimited_ supply of free, high-quality resources," she said slowly, layering it on thick. " _And_ the opportunity to acquire more with just a simple request…"

Gina's fluster doubled in intensity, enough for the two women to _feel_ the heat radiating from her cheeks as she tried in vain to resist.

And in the midst of her infirmity, she finally choked out a response.

"O-Okay! Y-You win!" she sputtered, her eyes clamping shut. "I-I'll join Beacon!"

"Only if you want to," Anoel said, voice sounding as if they didn't just solicit a young girl into complying by bribing her.

"It's for Ira, isn't it?" Gina asked meekly as she released a tightly held breath, bringing herself to look at Ano. "I guess if she really needs it, I can help."

"It is… we're just trying to make it more comfortable for her," Anoel replied, turning her gaze back to her wife see a relieved look. It seemed they were sharing that relief.

"We just want to make sure the transition for her is as smooth as it can possibly be, but don't think for a second that we're not taking your feelings into account as well," Ly spoke softly, moving back slightly as she placed a gentle hand on Gina's shoulder. "Ultimately, the decision is up to you sweetie, but we wouldn't be so _persistent_ if we knew that Ira would be okay without you. You're like the twin she never had, so it'd make sense if she wanted you to be there with her as she makes this step too."

"It'll also give you a reason to stick around more too," Ano said, resting her chin back onto Ly's shoulder as she drew her legs up onto the bed. "Visit some family more frequently, spend time with Arex and Kit, and your cousins, who you already know will be _dying_ to visit Beacon to see you two."

Gina fidgeted on the bed, making herself more comfortable as she let out a sigh. "I guess there's that too. I'm just not sure if I'll like being at a school as much as I like being outdoors."

"You'll never know until you try it," Ly spoke up as she let more of her weight settle into Ano. "It's like what we tell the girls, there's a first time for everything."

"And to wash their wings," Anoel added lightly.

" _And_ behind their ears," Ly spoke, gently poking at Ano's cheek as she leaned into her more, the phoenix's arms finding their way around her waist. "Speaking of which, you're free to use the shower, assuming it's vacant. I'm sure you've worked up quite a sweat today burning everything in your path."

Gina's lips curled into a little smile as gold filtered into her dark green irises. "Yeah… I got a little carried away today…"

The girl slowly stood from her seat on the foot of the bed. "I'll try to not use all the hot water, just in case someone else wants to use it."

"Honey, we invested in a water source with that already in mind," Ano replied, nestling herself into her wife's body before tucking her face lightly against Ly's neck. "The majority of this family has wings. Long showers and baths are the bare minimum here."

Ly chuckled lightly. "Worst case scenario, I'll just throw Ano in the tank."

" _Or_ just heat up the water yourself if you choose to take a bath. Either or," Ano quickly retorted, eyeing her wife playfully before beginning to nip at her collarbone.

Gina awkwardly watched the display of affection as her feet slowly shuffled toward the bedroom door. "I-I'll keep all that in mind…"

Still didn't stop Ano and Ly from spotting the small blush on her cheeks and flash of amber in her eyes before she promptly left the room.

"She's cute when she blushes," Anoel commented idly, moving her lips up to graze the side of Ly's neck. "I already have her school admission form, by the way. We just need signatures."

"Don't tell me you forged the rest of it," Ly commented, holding out her hand expectantly.

Ano lightly reached into her back pocket and withdrew the folded parchment in an unsealed envelope, dropping it into Ly's hand before returning her own back around Ly's small waist.

"Forged? _Honey_ , it probably _looks_ that way with what I had to write under Gina's accomplishments…"

Ly unfolded the open envelope and pulled out the sheet nestled inside. "Let's see what you've put then…"

Her eyes scanned the rest of the application before drawing back to the accomplishments category. "Ano…" she spoke clearly, the slightest hint of an admonishing tone in her voice. " _Cute_ doesn't count as an accomplishment… neither does 'really good at card games'."

"I figured Ozpin would be suspicious after I listed off the long number count of huntsman missions she's already done and towns she's helped," Ano murmured, smiling a little more as she lifted her head from where she buried it. "Little lighthearted things. They're both true."

Ly smirked as she lightly shook her head with a sigh. "I can speak to Ray and Scarlet about getting their signatures. Shouldn't be too hard."

"Not at all. I can fly you there if you need," Ano offered. "Might need one from Arex too, but I'm not sure how that legality would play out."

"Better get it anyway, just to be safe," Ly argued. "She's just as responsible for Gina as they are."

"As the only contributor to Gina's Phoenix genes, I should hope so," Anoel whispered back, wrapping her arms a little tighter around Ly.

Ly pulled away slightly from Ano to eye her skeptically. "Is that a pride thing for you, sweetie?"

"Not for me," Anoel argued back. "For Arex. But… also yes."

The phoenix's cheek was gently kissed as Ly folded the application and slid it back inside the envelope. "I thought so. It's better we go and get all three then."

"I'm happy to help with that," Anoel offered back, smiling from the peck before dipping forward and stealing her own kiss from Ly's lips. "Now come on, let's get ready for bed so I can cuddle you for real."

* * *

Astra laid awake in bed, unable to sleep due to excess energy.

 _Nothing new there…_

The little phoenix quietly played on her scroll, having dimmed the screen and turned the sound all the way down to its bare minimum as she was cuddled into Ira.

But she was getting bored.

Platinum blonde hair brushed against the pillow as she turned to her twin beside her, eyeing her out of curiosity to see if she'd stirred at all.

For some reason, the sisters had all agreed to sleep in Ira's bed, starting from biggest to smallest, with Astra stuck in the middle.

Cool blue eyes regarded her twin silently sleeping on her side, nestled into both the covers and Astra's right wing.

The girl didn't mind though, that's how they'd _always_ slept.

Ira was comfortably wrapped inside her _other_ wing, fast asleep.

Astra kept her eyes on Aaryn for a few seconds before turning back to her scroll and sighing. She closed it, having played the same game for a while now.

"Are you gonna pretend to be asleep for much longer? I'm thirsty…" she whispered, waiting for a response.

Aaryn's nestled head shifted slightly in its place before going still again. "Want me to get you water?"

"Please. Ira's got me trapped and I don't wanna wake her up. Water will be fine," Astra replied in a hushed voice.

"Ice too?" Aaryn asked quietly, pushing her small hands into the bed as she lifted herself up slightly.

Her twin hummed to respond negatively. "Too cold, just normal tap water please."

"Okay." The phoenix closest to the edge slid herself out of the thick comforter and touched her feet to the ground, eyes finally peering open to glance across the room.

After a moment and a yawn, she got up and padded her way across the room, slipping into Ira's bathroom to find a couple paper cups in her closet.

Taking two of them, she quietly filled the cups up then padded back to the bed, crawling back into her warm spot next to her twin before offering her the drink.

"Not tired yet?" Aaryn asked distractedly, settling her back into the headrest of the bed to drink her own water.

Astra took a sip of hers before shaking her head, shuffling ever so slightly to match Aaryn's position without disturbing Ira. "I didn't do much today, aside from flying with you and mom."

Aaryn grimaced at that as she lethargically curled her legs in, tucking herself into her pillow situated just behind the small of her back. "Don't remind me…"

Astra turned to face her twin with emerald green eyes. "Why are _you_ awake? You pretty much collapsed at the dinner table."

The twin sitting against her pillow took a silent sip from her water, tired eyes staying nothing more than little slivers of color. "I like falling asleep when you do."

"Didn't have much difficulty earlier… there something you're not telling me?" Astra remarked with the raise of a delicate brow.

"Naps are different," Aaryn replied, lifting her lips away from the rim of her cup. "They're shorter."

" _And…?_ " Astra pushed for more out of her sister.

Aaryn's reply came out in a soft, tiny grumble. "It helps me sleep for longer when you're doing it with me."

Astra's lips curled into a little smirk as she raised her cup to take another sip of water, pausing right before she did. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

The girl in question mumbled against her own little paper cup again before taking another sip from it. "Think you'll be able to sleep soon?"

Astra shrugged before letting her cup rest against her lap, both hands still clasped around it. "I don't know. Probably not. I could go for a run right now, but moms don't like it when we go out later than usual."

Aaryn finished her water and quietly rested it on the nightstand, tucking her legs up against her chest this time to rest her cheek against her knees. "Wanna do something else then?"

Astra's eyes filled with a bright yellow as she curiously glanced at her. "Like what? My wing is still stuck. So, it's safe to say I'm not getting out of this bed."

"We can play something together on our scrolls if you want," Aaryn offered lazily, the lethargy in her body still prominent from training. "But you were already playing that game for two hours, so I doubt it…"

"Mm… I want to _sleep,_ but I can't with all this stupid energy…" Astra whined, quickly finishing the rest of her water before handing the cup over to Aaryn.

The second cup joined the first on the nightstand before Aaryn sighed quietly, starting to poke softly at Astra's wing with her fingers. "Is it too much for me to work out of you with a massage?"

Astra shrugged before slowly lowering herself into the covers again. "You're welcome to try, but I can't promise it'll work."

Aaryn was too tired to think of anything else they could do with Astra pinned there, so she lightly slid her legs back into the covers and moved herself down too. But she transitioned into a little crawl to situate herself just at Astra's side, gazing down at her for a moment with a tired gleam in her eyes.

"If it doesn't work, we can just play cards or something," Aaryn offered.

"You realise that means you have to go and get everything?" Astra questioned as she stared back up at her. "And that means moving, which you're bad at."

"Or I could just sleep on top of you until morning," Aaryn offered instead, giving her twin a small glare.

"Okay… you win…" Astra mumbled quietly, recoiling at the cruel suggestion.

"Good. Now lie still and relax," Aaryn finished, moving her knees to open up more of Astra's wing. "And at least _try_ to fall asleep while I do this, okay?"

Astra closed her eyes as she nodded, letting her wing grow lax under her twin.

After a while, the twins fell asleep with a deck of cards next to them, and with Aaryn lying on top of Astra anyway for winning.

* * *

The door to Ira's bedroom slowly and subtly creaked open as I pushed my way through, careful to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb the room's slumbering occupants.

I originally intended to come here for something far more nefarious…

I had planned to leave Aaryn a children's horror story for her to read as retaliation for playing me by having me stay in her room specifically so I could leave her the books of mine she was interested in.

But the more I thought about it, the less able I was to justify doing it without even verifying the facts I had surmised. I still wanted to leave another book for her to read… one which was closer to this time period so she wouldn't need a translator book to read it.

That's when I got the idea for my current plan. It hit me that as Phoenix children, they were quite literally an element of the world lost to time. So I'd just give her another piece of forgotten history to read about…

Something from a life I used to live.

I quietly padded through the room, the book firm in my grip, before placing it lightly on the desk.

But even with all my caution, I picked up the faintest sound of a body shifting on the bed. My hand slowly lifted away from the book I left on the desk as I glanced over, regretfully spotting out a blonde head lifting up with tiredly blinking, half-lidded eyes looking to the window.

Thin streams of sunlight were filtering through the closed curtains, so the girl was likely spotting out the time through nature's wakeup call. But those eyes eventually dragged across the room to spot me out, standing awkwardly by the desk and caught in the act.

Thankfully, I only seemed to have woken up the one. Ira and Astra were still sound asleep, lying next to and beneath their sister on the bed without a care as to what was happening outside of their dreams.

… _Mostly safe._

I turned my attention back to Aaryn, flashing her a slightly nervous smile, calling out to her in a whisper.

"Yo. Thought I'd pop in and offer you some more reading material. It's another one which has been lost to time," I said, holding the volume up for her to see. "I have the only copy left on the planet, but since it looks like I'll be staying a while, I don't see the harm in lending it to you. You'll treat it with the care it deserves."

The tired gaze in Aaryn's eyes seemed to melt away for a moment as she glanced to the book I held, the blanket resting over her starting to get nudged away as she slipped out of the covers.

Guess the book really caught her attention, considering she moved pretty diligently to slide out of bed and pad her way over to me, interest fixed on its title.

"Edge of Destiny…" she muttered quietly to herself, tenderly opening the cover to the first page. "Sounds like an old name. Because it's kinda corny."

I looked down at her with a smile before patting her on the head and ruffling her hair. "Don't blame the bookkeeper, she didn't write it. But yeah, it's pretty bad… and that one is far from the worst offender of that time period, trust me."

"I guess that's fair," Aaryn whispered, eyes flicking over the beginning prologue to get an idea of what the rest of the book was going to feel like. "You really don't mind if I read it?"

"As long as it's not damaged by the time you return it, it's totally fine," I replied, shrugging my shoulders as my hand fell back to my side. "Knock yourself out, kiddo. See if you can spot anything familiar."

"Familiar?" Aaryn asked distractedly back, picking out that one word in what I responded with. The girl seemed to finish the prologue now, eyes stopping at the first chapter's title before softly closing the book.

My grin widened. "Here's a hint: pay attention to the appearance of the main character. Something about it will remind you of someone you know."

A hum started the girl's own reply as I watched her delicately take the book into her arms, her eyes starting to look around for something in the room. "I'll keep that in mind. Is it obvious?"

Her quiet question punctuated her starting a silent walk to what she just spotted, the girl finding her way to Ira's dresser to pull out a pair of black, fluffy looking socks.

She was definitely still tired, but I guess that tiny lost look could be attributed to her still reminding herself that she'd fallen asleep in her sister's room. And not her own.

Which brought me to my next thought.

 _Ira has fluffy socks?_

I had to admit, it was hard to picture that… but not impossible. The thought of her wearing them on a rainy day… shit, I needed to stop fantasizing. The kid asked me a question, didn't she?

"Well, it'll be obvious to you, yeah," I answered after shaking my head briefly to clear it of my less than pure thoughts. "Considering how easy to spot this detail it is."

I caught the tiniest of nods coming from the girl as she rested the book down, taking her careful hands off it for just long enough to sit on the floor and put on the thick socks she found. Once they were on, Aaryn's first action, before even standing up, was to pick up the book and open it.

Part of me wondered if she had an auto-pilot mode like I did when my nose was stuck in a book, the girl tracing the words on the first page as she maneuvered past me and slipped out the door.

Probably on her way downstairs to find a proper reading place.

Come to think of it, the soft startings of rainfall began to pelt the window on the adjacent wall of the room, behind Ira's curtains.

 _Guess the wilderness is getting mad at me for sleeping in a house the past few days… or approving of it, and this was just a way to keep me inside…_

Curiosity got to me before I could leave, admittedly. So just as I was closing the door silently behind my exit, I took the tiniest of a scan of that sock drawer Aaryn had pulled that pair of socks from.

And I'd be lying if I didn't feel a tiny twinge of excitement knowing Ira had more pairs in there.

* * *

Co-Author: A New Username

Co-Author: HydraFlow

* * *

 **X: Fluffy socks.**

 **User: Yeah, Kamiko's definition of impure thoughts is reeeeeeeeeeeeally skewed.**

 **X: I like fluffy socks. They're cute.**

 **User: I almost never wear socks in general anymore to be honest. I'm always wearing Crocs.**

 **X: *trying not to look judging* Fair. I lounge in socks.**

 **User: I used to, but then wearing socks started making my feet sweat, which made them colder than if I went barefoot. Anyway, should we actually talk about the chapter?**

 **X: *doesn't really sweat much* Oh, the chapter? Nah.**

 **User: *envies you* Well, fair enough. So, what's your favorite color fluffy sock?**

 **X: Black. You can never go wrong with a color that's both sleek and flattering. But at the same time, it can also be really cute and pop too, like a pink or teal or animal theme.**

* * *

 **Omake:** _Subtlety_

* * *

Ira was the last to wake up. It didn't take Astra long to roll out of bed after finally being freed from her sleeping twin sister's choice of 'using her as a mattress for beating her in Go Fish'.

But it ultimately left Ira to wake up alone.

The raven-haired girl curled her legs into the empty spot beside her and drew her pillow down to hug for another few stray minutes of dozing, soaking up the lingering warmth from the sheets beside her.

After a while, little lime green slivers blinked open and she blearily looked to the window to see streams of water pouring down the glass between the crack in the curtains.

 _Rain…?_

And yesterday was such a nice day, too.

A quiet little groan slipped from her lips as she pushed herself up, her comforter slipping from her shoulder before she felt a yawn tug out of her throat.

Right…

The girl slid out of bed at hearing some quiet bustling coming from downstairs, wondering if everyone was already awake. And if she were being honest, she didn't have the energy to change out of her night shirt and short-shorts.

But she could at least throw something onto her feet.

The floor was cold.

And it was rainy outside.

Rubbing her eyes, Ira wandered over to her dresser and opened the top drawer… only to find it empty.

 _What?_ Her bleary eyes blinked for a moment before closing it, tugging the next one down open too.

Empty.

All that was left was a single pair of fluffy black socks.

Guess she didn't have a choice in the matter…

Somebody stole all her normal ones.


End file.
